Spring break in New Orleans is packed. I had a group of three
young women join my tour for their spring break this past month. They were college roommates and one of them had a spirit with her for her entire life, it
followed her everywhere. Her mother insisted the spirit was that of the sibling
that she had miscarried before having her daughter. It liked to whisper
inaudibly to this young woman and sit beside her, weighing down the bed.
Visitors would notice things, but she grew accustomed to it. When she went to
college the spirit went with her and her roommates noticed. Late one night,
sitting in the bedroom, her roommate challenged the spirit, “if you're real do
something!” The coffee maker in the kitchen turned on and began to make coffee.
Another time the same roommate came home and wanted to take a shower, but
someone was already taking one. She waited a little while, noticing that one of
her roommates was in the bedroom. A few moments later she noticed that the
other one was in the kitchen. Wait, she thought, who is in the bathroom? The three roommates went together into the
bathroom and it was empty, the water in the shower running. While in their
hotel in New Orleans the third roommate had placed her cell phone flat on the
bedside table and sat down on the bed, a moment later the phone flew off the
table, landing on the floor in the middle of the hotel room.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Paranormal Runs in Families
Just like other skills, paranormal sensitivity sometimes runs in families. I had a family visiting from L.A. not long ago who had numerous experiences between them. The older sister, standing beside her husband, shared a story from when she was a toddler, 2-3 years old. She and her great-grandmother were very close. Shortly after she passed, she saw her great grandmother one night standing by her bed. She said "grandma, I'm thirsty," so they went to the kitchen. At 2-3 years old she could not reach anything in the kitchen, so her grandmother got her a blue cup from the cabinet, then she opened the refrigerator door and took out a bottle of soda. Her grandmother poured the soda into her cup, returned the bottle to the refrigerator and took her back to her room, placing the blue cup by her bed. Then her grandmother went into her parents room and kissed them, kissed her mother's belly, pregnant with her little brother, returned to her bedroom, kissed her and said good-bye, then dissipated out the window. When she told her parents what had happened, they did not believe her, until they saw the blue cup by her bed.
Her little brother, who'd received the kiss that night, grew up to be a Physical Therapist. He had a co-worker that he knew only in passing. One night her deceased father came to him in a dream and asked him to send a message, just a hello to comfort her and let her know he was okay and thinking of her. Well, her little brother didn't really feel comfortable relaying a message to his co-worker. They weren't especially close and there is no telling what sort of reaction you'll get. He put it off for a few days but finally decided to let her know. She was overwhelmed, the day he'd finally worked up the courage to tell her was the anniversary of her father's death and the birthday of her son. It was just the news that she needed on that day.
The old sister's husband had grown up on a house with a woman, a shadow of a woman that many visitors would see. The family was so accustomed to her presence they had no plans to get rid of her. Although her husband did feel lethargic in his bedroom. There was an inexplicable weight to the room that everyone felt upon entering it. When they were dating the older sister felt unwelcome by the spirit; it seemed the spirit was jealous of her. In time the older sister got fed up with the room, it was messy and she decided to clean it up. Clothing littered the room, so she hung everything up and put in the closet, closing the doors, tidying up the entire room. As soon as the it was clean, the weight in the room was gone. The whole family noticed. Shortly after she and her to be husband were hanging out in the bedroom, they heard a pounding on the door. Familiar with earthquakes they were locked in place, waiting for the earth to shake. A moment later the closet doors flung open and all the clothing was thrown in to the room as if the closet could projectile vomit.
Years later they tore down the house and rebuilt another house in its place. They spirit didn't seem to be around anymore.
Her little brother, who'd received the kiss that night, grew up to be a Physical Therapist. He had a co-worker that he knew only in passing. One night her deceased father came to him in a dream and asked him to send a message, just a hello to comfort her and let her know he was okay and thinking of her. Well, her little brother didn't really feel comfortable relaying a message to his co-worker. They weren't especially close and there is no telling what sort of reaction you'll get. He put it off for a few days but finally decided to let her know. She was overwhelmed, the day he'd finally worked up the courage to tell her was the anniversary of her father's death and the birthday of her son. It was just the news that she needed on that day.
The old sister's husband had grown up on a house with a woman, a shadow of a woman that many visitors would see. The family was so accustomed to her presence they had no plans to get rid of her. Although her husband did feel lethargic in his bedroom. There was an inexplicable weight to the room that everyone felt upon entering it. When they were dating the older sister felt unwelcome by the spirit; it seemed the spirit was jealous of her. In time the older sister got fed up with the room, it was messy and she decided to clean it up. Clothing littered the room, so she hung everything up and put in the closet, closing the doors, tidying up the entire room. As soon as the it was clean, the weight in the room was gone. The whole family noticed. Shortly after she and her to be husband were hanging out in the bedroom, they heard a pounding on the door. Familiar with earthquakes they were locked in place, waiting for the earth to shake. A moment later the closet doors flung open and all the clothing was thrown in to the room as if the closet could projectile vomit.
Years later they tore down the house and rebuilt another house in its place. They spirit didn't seem to be around anymore.
A shared ghost
A few months back two couples from La Grange, Illinois came on my tour. They'd moved away from the city at the same time, buying neighboring houses. Both had young children, often a magnet for paranormal activity. The women were both aware of something odd in their houses. On occasion one would be woken in the night by a small figure at the door. Half asleep and figuring it was her young son she told the figure to come to into the bed, instead it disappeared. The other woman said that her husband had been dismissing her reports of a ghost in the house since they moved in. Then one morning, very early when the entire house was asleep but him, her husband saw a tiny figure go from one child's bedroom to the other. He decided to check and found both children fast asleep in their separate rooms.
Museo de las Américas
Not long ago one of my tour guests had not only a great ghost story but also a great picture. She and some friends were visiting the Museo
de las Américas in Puerto Rico. During their visit the courtyard was closed, but the guard was nice enough to let them in just to use the bathroom. The place was desolate. While she and her friend were using the ladies room she suddenly felt cold and frightened. Her friend didn't understand what she was so upset about, feeling no coldness or fear herself. Still, my tour guest was intent to leave. On the way out they met back up with their husbands and her friend insisted on asking the guard to take their picture; she thought it was a beautiful place. It was not until everyone arrived home and my guest downloaded her photos that she noticed the mysterious woman in the back, by the head of the man on the right, standing just outside of the bathroom door.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Birmingham and Mobile
During ghost tours people always ask about my own experiences, but I generally restrict what I share to things that are directly connected to the tour itself and don't delve into personal stories. In part I don't concern myself with whether or not people leave the tour believing in ghosts, a tour should be fun for believers and nonbelievers alike. Still, I realize that belief or lack there of is really important to people, and there is nothing quite like your own personal experience.
Over the summer a family from Birmingham took a ghost tour with me. The father had done work at an antebellum house in the city. When the crew first began their work, they had gone into the basement to look around and saw the remains of slave chains. As they walked through the space they heard rattling. It all sounds like a horror movie, and clearly the father wanted to separate this very real experience, and painful reminder of the past, from some campfire tall tale; I appreciated where he was coming from. While working on this antebellum house, they had to get used to the sound of chains in the basement. They also had to double check the house routinely. When they would leave at night they had to make sure their was no one in the house and then shut down all electricity to it. The first night they cleared the house, shut down the lights and began to walk away from the house. One of them turned and saw a light on the second floor, framing the shadow of a woman facing the street. How did that happen? One of them went into the house to tell her to leave and the other checked the electricity. A search through the house revealed it was in fact empty and the electricity was completely shut down.
On a separate occasion, visiting Mobile, the same family had visited an old house with a slave quarters. The father wanted to look at the slave quarters and as he stepped into the room a hand pressed against his solar plexus and shoved him back. He stood firm and after a moment he spoke to the spirit. He explained that slavery was over and that African Americans like himself and the spirit pushing him away, were free to go where they wanted and control their own destiny. He encourage the spirit to leave and see the world as the father saw it today.
Over the summer a family from Birmingham took a ghost tour with me. The father had done work at an antebellum house in the city. When the crew first began their work, they had gone into the basement to look around and saw the remains of slave chains. As they walked through the space they heard rattling. It all sounds like a horror movie, and clearly the father wanted to separate this very real experience, and painful reminder of the past, from some campfire tall tale; I appreciated where he was coming from. While working on this antebellum house, they had to get used to the sound of chains in the basement. They also had to double check the house routinely. When they would leave at night they had to make sure their was no one in the house and then shut down all electricity to it. The first night they cleared the house, shut down the lights and began to walk away from the house. One of them turned and saw a light on the second floor, framing the shadow of a woman facing the street. How did that happen? One of them went into the house to tell her to leave and the other checked the electricity. A search through the house revealed it was in fact empty and the electricity was completely shut down.
On a separate occasion, visiting Mobile, the same family had visited an old house with a slave quarters. The father wanted to look at the slave quarters and as he stepped into the room a hand pressed against his solar plexus and shoved him back. He stood firm and after a moment he spoke to the spirit. He explained that slavery was over and that African Americans like himself and the spirit pushing him away, were free to go where they wanted and control their own destiny. He encourage the spirit to leave and see the world as the father saw it today.
A Dormitory Across from the Cemetery
I had two old college buddies take a quiet Garden District tour over the
summer. They had gone to a small liberal arts college in Mississippi
and their dormitory was across from a cemetery. While at school one of
them had tried out a Ouija board. She had even gone over to the
cemetery across from their dormitory and called out to the spirits
there, harassing them to show themselves. When she arrived back in their
room a photo she had hanging from a thick decorative hook was laying on
her bed. It seemed odd because the hook was still on the wall and it
was pretty sturdy and deep, but she figured it was a fluke. She put it
back and sat down at her desk. A shaking sound came from the wall.
Looking over, she saw the picture slowly moving up the hook, coming off
and falling onto her bed. She screamed and ran out into the hallway. Her
buddy and a male friend came into the room to ask what she was fretting
about. When she pointed to the picture the male friend laughed and put
it back on the hook, insisting that she was imagining things. They
started to go into the hall when the shaking sound began again. The
three of them watched as the photo was lifted off the hook and fell to
the bed.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
L.A. Security
There is never any telling what experiences lie behind old eyes. Not long ago I had an older woman and her daughter on my tour. She said that she'd worked security in Los Angles for many years, starting in the 1960s. In many of the buildings she worked alone, in isolated areas, at all hours. When she first started as a young woman she had an desk in the basement of an L.A. high rise. During her regular rounds there was one room that always blew cold air when she walked through. You would've thought it was the air conditioning, but when she turned that off she found the air was coming from the door frame itself. One night she felt a presence so strongly in the basement that she said "If there is something here close the door." A door in the basement slammed shut.
During another incidence she was walking through a hall with lots of other people around. She passed a man in a suit and narrow tie, just like every other business man in the 1960s. As they passed she smiled and said hello. Getting no response from him, she was perturbed, then she realized that the man didn't have an id on. As everyone was required to have an id and she was security, she turned around and attempted to follow him. She searched the building and could not find the man anywhere. Later she was chatting with one of the regulars and mentioned this strange encounter and the regular described the man before she could. Apparently this was a familiar sightings in the building.
In still another security assignment she found herself in a nursing facility adjacent to a hospital. The intention was that if any of the residents had a medical issue an ambulance would not have to be called, emergency personnel could simply walk over. It seemed like a great job. The first night when she arrived they sat her at the front desk and encouraged her to do whatever she wanted: watch TV, eat, talk on the phone, read a book. Generally employers did not want security to do these things. At first she thought it was just her good luck, then as the bustle of the day died down and she was surrounded by silence, she began to here noises: knocking at the door, footsteps coming down the stairs. She didn't want to complain because there were so few women working in security, she was afraid of being accused of being weak. After working there for sometime and dismissing the regular noises, one night she heard a knock down fight in the kitchen. Pans flying, things crashing, bodies hitting the floor. She ran to check it out and the kitchen was empty. When her supervisor asked her how she was doing at the job she just smiled and said everything was fine. He was impressed and told her that none of the men would work there. She was the only guard willing to do the job.
Years later she became a supervisor. At a big office building on Wilshire Blvd she could not keep a security guard. They had to work at night in the basement and she kept having to replace them. As a supervisor she had to do rounds, going from location to location checking on security guards. Generally guards were happy to be rid of her, but when she went to this building the guard invited her in and chatted insistently to get her to stay. At first she thought it was just a friendly gesture, but as weeks went by he began to tell her that he heard voices in the building. He started bringing a bible with him to work and reciting verses to drown out the voices. Eventually he was overwhelmed by it all and ran through the front doors, crashing through the glass and barrelling into traffic on the boulevard outside.
During another incidence she was walking through a hall with lots of other people around. She passed a man in a suit and narrow tie, just like every other business man in the 1960s. As they passed she smiled and said hello. Getting no response from him, she was perturbed, then she realized that the man didn't have an id on. As everyone was required to have an id and she was security, she turned around and attempted to follow him. She searched the building and could not find the man anywhere. Later she was chatting with one of the regulars and mentioned this strange encounter and the regular described the man before she could. Apparently this was a familiar sightings in the building.
In still another security assignment she found herself in a nursing facility adjacent to a hospital. The intention was that if any of the residents had a medical issue an ambulance would not have to be called, emergency personnel could simply walk over. It seemed like a great job. The first night when she arrived they sat her at the front desk and encouraged her to do whatever she wanted: watch TV, eat, talk on the phone, read a book. Generally employers did not want security to do these things. At first she thought it was just her good luck, then as the bustle of the day died down and she was surrounded by silence, she began to here noises: knocking at the door, footsteps coming down the stairs. She didn't want to complain because there were so few women working in security, she was afraid of being accused of being weak. After working there for sometime and dismissing the regular noises, one night she heard a knock down fight in the kitchen. Pans flying, things crashing, bodies hitting the floor. She ran to check it out and the kitchen was empty. When her supervisor asked her how she was doing at the job she just smiled and said everything was fine. He was impressed and told her that none of the men would work there. She was the only guard willing to do the job.
Years later she became a supervisor. At a big office building on Wilshire Blvd she could not keep a security guard. They had to work at night in the basement and she kept having to replace them. As a supervisor she had to do rounds, going from location to location checking on security guards. Generally guards were happy to be rid of her, but when she went to this building the guard invited her in and chatted insistently to get her to stay. At first she thought it was just a friendly gesture, but as weeks went by he began to tell her that he heard voices in the building. He started bringing a bible with him to work and reciting verses to drown out the voices. Eventually he was overwhelmed by it all and ran through the front doors, crashing through the glass and barrelling into traffic on the boulevard outside.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Getting Followed Home
Often we want hauntings to be clear to us, but more often they are hard to define. Recently a dad from the Gulf Coast took his daughter on my tour. For him it was a great opportunity to share a city that he had enjoyed long before she was born, but as it turned out it was also a chance to dazzle her with his own life experience.
One evening close to twenty years ago he and some friends took our ghost tour and hung out with a few tour guides afterward. On a lark one of the guides asked them to check out a walkway between a few buildings. He and his friends asked if they would see ghosts there. Should they take pictures? What should they touch? The guide didn't want to influence them, so he insisted on keeping silent until they returned. Well, these guys went into the walkway and felt around the brick, tried to pay attention for cold spots. They eventually gave up and returned insisting that nothing had really happened, but while in the walkway one of them began to feel pressure on his temples and soon it felt like his head was being crushed in a vise. Not being the type to make a fuss, and not really believing in anything paranormal, he said nothing. The guide said they were still investigating the haunting, but they thought that some people had died in a fire there. Suddenly the young man who felt the pressure in his head burst into tears.
Afterward the group returned to the west bank and everyone went to bed, except the young man with the headache. He stayed up and watched television, sitting on the couch in front of a window. As everyone else in the house began to drop off to sleep, he heard a scratching sound behind him. He figured it must be a tree branch outside hitting the window, forgetting that there were no trees in the yard. As the scratching continued the mail slot in the front of the house began to flap. Drawn to the flapping sound in the front of the house, he began to walk toward it and thought he heard his name whispered. Then he heard his name again. Hoping that his host was joking around with him, the young man barged into his room. When he saw his friend just waking up, bewildered, the young man, barely himself, once again began to bawl telling his friend what had happened.
The next morning he went home to Lafayette. As far as I know that was the end of his haunting, but the man who shared this story with me said that long after that night he experienced sleep paralysis in the house, seeing a dark figure standing by the bed beside him.
One evening close to twenty years ago he and some friends took our ghost tour and hung out with a few tour guides afterward. On a lark one of the guides asked them to check out a walkway between a few buildings. He and his friends asked if they would see ghosts there. Should they take pictures? What should they touch? The guide didn't want to influence them, so he insisted on keeping silent until they returned. Well, these guys went into the walkway and felt around the brick, tried to pay attention for cold spots. They eventually gave up and returned insisting that nothing had really happened, but while in the walkway one of them began to feel pressure on his temples and soon it felt like his head was being crushed in a vise. Not being the type to make a fuss, and not really believing in anything paranormal, he said nothing. The guide said they were still investigating the haunting, but they thought that some people had died in a fire there. Suddenly the young man who felt the pressure in his head burst into tears.
Afterward the group returned to the west bank and everyone went to bed, except the young man with the headache. He stayed up and watched television, sitting on the couch in front of a window. As everyone else in the house began to drop off to sleep, he heard a scratching sound behind him. He figured it must be a tree branch outside hitting the window, forgetting that there were no trees in the yard. As the scratching continued the mail slot in the front of the house began to flap. Drawn to the flapping sound in the front of the house, he began to walk toward it and thought he heard his name whispered. Then he heard his name again. Hoping that his host was joking around with him, the young man barged into his room. When he saw his friend just waking up, bewildered, the young man, barely himself, once again began to bawl telling his friend what had happened.
The next morning he went home to Lafayette. As far as I know that was the end of his haunting, but the man who shared this story with me said that long after that night he experienced sleep paralysis in the house, seeing a dark figure standing by the bed beside him.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Wichita Falls Texas
Curiosity is not limited to the living. A few months back I had a woman from Wichita Falls Texas come on the tour. She had two interesting ghost stories to share. Years back she had bought her son a used game system. One day she was at home when a young man, wearing a baseball cap backwards, walked down the hall. A moment later her son walked past and she asked "who is your friend?" Perplexed, he replied "No one. Its just me and you in the house." The mysterious young man she took for being attached to the used game system. It seemed he was passing through. However there was another entity in her house, a helpful one.
She was a cancer survivor. Years before, she was ill and lying in bed thinking she would go to the hospital the next day. Right in her ear she heard a voice "Go to the hospital, now!" She jumped out of bed. When she arrived at the ER the staff immediately admitted her and told her that she would have been dead if she had waited any longer. Later on in her treatment she had a lot of equipment at home, including a tube connecting her to the equipment. At one point as she lie there hooked up, she felt a tug on the the tube and looked over. Something lifted the tube up and moved it about a bit, then set it back down.
She was a cancer survivor. Years before, she was ill and lying in bed thinking she would go to the hospital the next day. Right in her ear she heard a voice "Go to the hospital, now!" She jumped out of bed. When she arrived at the ER the staff immediately admitted her and told her that she would have been dead if she had waited any longer. Later on in her treatment she had a lot of equipment at home, including a tube connecting her to the equipment. At one point as she lie there hooked up, she felt a tug on the the tube and looked over. Something lifted the tube up and moved it about a bit, then set it back down.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Missouri Hills
I have had tours that were completely made up of visitors from Texas, but I rarely have a lot of people from Missouri. Tonight was an exception, as almost half the group was from Missouri. Most of them were from the same family and their grandmother had a prize family story about a house she and her family had lived in over forty years ago.
The house was out in the hills. When she moved in with her husband and kids the landlord asked if she was going to stay. She said she planned too. He couldn't get anyone to stay for more than a few months. The day they moved in they heard a radio playing really low. She figured it was some kids down the lane, the closest neighbor. But when she and her husband got into bed later that night, he said "If you're going to listen to the radio, turn it up." She told him they had not unpacked a radio. Later he investigated the attic, no radio anywhere.
Routinely she turned off all the lights when she left in the morning. At the end of the day she would drive up the hill and the lights on the second floor of the house would be on. In the back seat her kids would say, "Mom, hurry up. See, we have visitors upstairs in the window."
One night a friend stayed over. When he came to breakfast in the morning he was shaking. He told her he would never come there again. She asked him what was wrong. A woman had woken him in the night and asked if he wanted a drink. He gladly got up and went to the kitchen. There was no one.
They managed to stay in the house for a year, but they finally did find the activity too unsettling. After they moved the house burned down.
The house was out in the hills. When she moved in with her husband and kids the landlord asked if she was going to stay. She said she planned too. He couldn't get anyone to stay for more than a few months. The day they moved in they heard a radio playing really low. She figured it was some kids down the lane, the closest neighbor. But when she and her husband got into bed later that night, he said "If you're going to listen to the radio, turn it up." She told him they had not unpacked a radio. Later he investigated the attic, no radio anywhere.
Routinely she turned off all the lights when she left in the morning. At the end of the day she would drive up the hill and the lights on the second floor of the house would be on. In the back seat her kids would say, "Mom, hurry up. See, we have visitors upstairs in the window."
One night a friend stayed over. When he came to breakfast in the morning he was shaking. He told her he would never come there again. She asked him what was wrong. A woman had woken him in the night and asked if he wanted a drink. He gladly got up and went to the kitchen. There was no one.
They managed to stay in the house for a year, but they finally did find the activity too unsettling. After they moved the house burned down.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Hudson River Valley
Mansions or big houses, one of my tour guests grew up in one in the Hudson River Valley. She and her daughter took the tour recently and despite growing up with the ever present feeling that she would see something paranormal, she never saw a thing. But her daughter, years ago at six years old, did. The family was visiting her grandmother and she and her sister were sleeping in the sun room adjacent to her grandmother's bedroom. It was pasted their bedtime and her sister was asleep, but she was awake playing with toys on the floor when she looked up and saw a girl standing in the doorway, blond, about fifteen, in a white nightgown. The image was foggy, but the girl was clearly looking at her playing on the floor. At six she was petrified, but still managed to run through the door, through the foggy girl and into her grandmother's bed.
It was the only time she saw anything at the house. But years later her uncle mentioned seeing the same image in the same doorway.
It was the only time she saw anything at the house. But years later her uncle mentioned seeing the same image in the same doorway.
Southern Missouri
A couple on my tour had an old family ghost story to tell. One of the old men in their family, an uncle or grandfather, in his eighties, had told the same story for decades. When he was a boy there was an old abandoned farm house that the children were always told never to go into. One day he and a friend managed to sneak up to the house and went inside. They were looking around the front room when they turned and saw a man hovering behind them. He had a beard, a white robe, and sandals; the bearded figure was staring at his friend. After what felt like a long time the figure turned to him and before their eyes met he and his friend rain out of the house, down the hill, and never returned to the farmhouse again.
Monday, January 12, 2015
The sister-in-law of the previous women from Southern Indiana had a separate paranormal experience. In the late 1990s her sister died in a car accident. They had
always promised one another that if anything happened to one, she would
send the other a sign. Well the women had a music box that she had kept for many years and was very attached to but never played; she didn't even think that it worked.
One day she was milling around the house and she heard the music box, softly playing on the shelf.
One day she was milling around the house and she heard the music box, softly playing on the shelf.
Southern Indiana
Countless people insist to me, that they will believe in ghosts when they see one. Fair enough, but a lot of experiences are far more subtle than that.
A while back a women came on the tour with her sister-in-law. She did not believe in this sort of thing until about three years ago. Her father had fallen ill and passed away. For weeks she had been in and out of his house, back and forth to the doctor and then the funeral home. There was a stack of papers and mail on the dinning room table that she passed repeatedly, looking at it over and over again.
A few days into funeral planning, the funeral director asked if her father had served in the military. If she could produce his discharge papers, he could have the proper rites for the funeral. She knew her father had served in Korea at a desk. Her father had no combat stories and his service had been over fifty years ago. She told the director not to include the rites, there was no way she would find the papers, if they even existed.
Once she got home she went directly to the computer to continue going through his e-mail. After staring at the screen for a while she turned around and looked at the dinning room table behind her. She noticed a yellowed dusty sheet of paper lying flat on top of the pile of mail and paperwork. This was the table that she looked at constantly throughout the day and this paper was not there before. She got up and walked over; it was her father's discharge paper.
A while back a women came on the tour with her sister-in-law. She did not believe in this sort of thing until about three years ago. Her father had fallen ill and passed away. For weeks she had been in and out of his house, back and forth to the doctor and then the funeral home. There was a stack of papers and mail on the dinning room table that she passed repeatedly, looking at it over and over again.
A few days into funeral planning, the funeral director asked if her father had served in the military. If she could produce his discharge papers, he could have the proper rites for the funeral. She knew her father had served in Korea at a desk. Her father had no combat stories and his service had been over fifty years ago. She told the director not to include the rites, there was no way she would find the papers, if they even existed.
Once she got home she went directly to the computer to continue going through his e-mail. After staring at the screen for a while she turned around and looked at the dinning room table behind her. She noticed a yellowed dusty sheet of paper lying flat on top of the pile of mail and paperwork. This was the table that she looked at constantly throughout the day and this paper was not there before. She got up and walked over; it was her father's discharge paper.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Little Rock, Arkansas
A couple from Little Rock, Arkansas joined me a few months back. The husband had grown up in Alton, Illinois and once during his childhood had woken from a bad dream and went looking for his mother. The bedrooms were on the second floor in a type of loft with a balcony allowing a view into the living room. The walls on either side of the fireplace were bookshelves. When he stepped out of his room he saw his mother, her back to him, moving along the bookshelves. He called out to her and behind him her bedroom light flipped on. He turned toward it to hear his mother's voice and when he turned back to the bookshelf the figure was gone.
Many years later in Arkansas he and his then wife were driving down a misty country road late at night. It was very hilly and rural; there was a small church ahead of them. As they got closer to the church he saw a couple in the road. They were older, dancing close together, eyes locked completely on one another. The car went straight through them. He turned to his wife, sure that he had imagined the whole thing. "Did you see that?" She did.
His wife had an animal story, and while I certainly have heard them before, I don't hear all that many in general. They had just moved into a new house and her project was to get the back yard in order. She spent a lot of time raking and pulling up weds. When she raked in one area of the yard, she would always feel something brush up against her, like a cat. Only when she turned, there was never anything there. She figured it was her imagination, or some especially soft plant. This went on for sometime. Later she met one of her new neighbors and mentioned that she was fixing up the back yard. Her neighbor replied that she was liable to dig up bones. The previous owner had buried her cat in the backyard. The neighbor described the specific area and sure enough it was the same place.
Many years later in Arkansas he and his then wife were driving down a misty country road late at night. It was very hilly and rural; there was a small church ahead of them. As they got closer to the church he saw a couple in the road. They were older, dancing close together, eyes locked completely on one another. The car went straight through them. He turned to his wife, sure that he had imagined the whole thing. "Did you see that?" She did.
His wife had an animal story, and while I certainly have heard them before, I don't hear all that many in general. They had just moved into a new house and her project was to get the back yard in order. She spent a lot of time raking and pulling up weds. When she raked in one area of the yard, she would always feel something brush up against her, like a cat. Only when she turned, there was never anything there. She figured it was her imagination, or some especially soft plant. This went on for sometime. Later she met one of her new neighbors and mentioned that she was fixing up the back yard. Her neighbor replied that she was liable to dig up bones. The previous owner had buried her cat in the backyard. The neighbor described the specific area and sure enough it was the same place.
Manteca, California
The parent child bond can often stay with us long after our bodies have been separated. In June I had a woman on my tour from Manteca, California. Unfortunately, she had to leave early since her little girl was exhausted. But before she left, she told me that when she was young her mother had died. Her father later remarried and they moved to another house; it was a little too awkward for his new wife to live in the house where her mother had died. Shortly after they had moved her father and stepmother were gone for the night and some friends came to keep her company. The family had moved a large ornate mirror from the old house into the new one and mounted it in the hallway. At one point during that night she walked down the hallway past the mirror and one of her friends saw the wispy figure of a woman float behind her.
She had also had the opportunity to speak with the people who lived in her old house. They said that sometimes they saw a woman with a turban going from room to room as if she were looking for something. Her mother had died of cancer and wore a turban in her final days.
She had also had the opportunity to speak with the people who lived in her old house. They said that sometimes they saw a woman with a turban going from room to room as if she were looking for something. Her mother had died of cancer and wore a turban in her final days.
Boulder 1960
Just as I finished hearing that dark story about Berlin, another woman on my tour shared an equally unusual story with me. She called it her "pre-ghost" story.
In 1960 when she was 6 years old she lived in Boulder Colorado. Her mother was 6 months pregnant. One night at dusk she looked out the screen door into the back yard. They lived in a neighborhood with and alley behind the house and other houses beyond. As she looked out the door, she saw a baby, about one year old, walking down the alley, limping and dragging its leg along. The baby stopped and turned to her, waved, and continued to limp down the alley. The baby was clear to her, but she could see right through it.
The next day her mother had a miscarriage and the fetus had no ankle on one leg and the other leg was twisted around. It lived for about 30 minutes after it was born.
In 1960 when she was 6 years old she lived in Boulder Colorado. Her mother was 6 months pregnant. One night at dusk she looked out the screen door into the back yard. They lived in a neighborhood with and alley behind the house and other houses beyond. As she looked out the door, she saw a baby, about one year old, walking down the alley, limping and dragging its leg along. The baby stopped and turned to her, waved, and continued to limp down the alley. The baby was clear to her, but she could see right through it.
The next day her mother had a miscarriage and the fetus had no ankle on one leg and the other leg was twisted around. It lived for about 30 minutes after it was born.
From Connecticut to Berlin
Tonight I got to speak with a woman visiting from Connecticut. She'd done some traveling in Europe in 2004 and had some strange experiences in Berlin.
She and a companion were staying at a hotel there and plagued with nightmares, so they decided to check out of their hotel and stay at a youth hostel. They booked it online for two nights. When they arrived, she immediately felt uneasy; the building looked like a hospital. Inside wasn't much different, the waiting area, the rooms, not only did it feel like a hospital but no one had bothered to redecorate. The floor they were on was empty except for the two of them, but they were so uncomfortable that they escorted one another to the bathroom. They decided to stay out as late as they could to avoid sleeping there. Eventually when they did get back to the hostile, they got in bed and turned out the light. Immediately they heard beeping sounds, like monitors. The beeping was down the hall, then in the floor above them, then across the hall, on and on. They tried to ignore it and go to sleep. Finally her companion did fall asleep, and she was almost out when she heard a loud beep right beside her head. She jumped out of bed and woke him up. They decided to sleep with the lights on. By 6:30 in the morning they woke and everything was silent. Immediately they checked out. The young lady at the front desk asked them why and they told her flat out, "this place is haunted." The girl shrugged. "What was this place before?" they asked. The girl said it had been a hospital for invalid children, but the woman on my tour felt it must have been older than that, maybe from one or both world wars.
They left that place and for the next six months or so, could not speak of it to one another. Her companion fell ill and went from hospital to hospital, baffling all the doctors. No one could figure out what was wrong with him. After six months, things seemed to clear up. But even tonight, as she shared the story with me, she felt the chill of it.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Games
Just last night I was chatting with my tour participants about some strange experiences they had had with the paranormal. They were three generations, grandparents, dad, and daughter and the young lady was looking at colleges in New Orleans. The grandmother said that when her son was growing up there was a little spirit that played with him and sometimes kept them up at night roaming the hallways.
As it turns out her husband wrote a book about that experience and other paranormal experiences that he has had over his lifetime. So I have never had this opportunity before, but I want to post the link to his book. You can buy it on Amazon, The Elaborate Game by Robert Lawson. I have not read it but I look forward to checking it out.
Here is the link. http://www.amazon.com/The-Elaborate-Game-Robert-Lawson/dp/1452579172/ref=sr_1_94?ie=UTF8&qid=1405741146&sr=8-94&keywords=Robert+Lawson
As it turns out her husband wrote a book about that experience and other paranormal experiences that he has had over his lifetime. So I have never had this opportunity before, but I want to post the link to his book. You can buy it on Amazon, The Elaborate Game by Robert Lawson. I have not read it but I look forward to checking it out.
Here is the link. http://www.amazon.com/The-Elaborate-Game-Robert-Lawson/dp/1452579172/ref=sr_1_94?ie=UTF8&qid=1405741146&sr=8-94&keywords=Robert+Lawson
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
From Harvey to Jackson
A woman from Jackson, Mississippi came on the tour back in the winter. She used to live in Harvey outside of New Orleans. In that home her kids would see a man come into their bedroom and keep an eye on them. He was an old black man who wore a red plaid flannel shirt and a newsboy hat. One day the woman was talking to a neighbor. The neighbor said that her uncle had died in the house during Katrina. She described him. The woman called her children over and had them repeat their description of the man they had seen in their bedroom-- it was the same.
Although the family had moved, the kids still saw him. He was a comfort to them. One day, not long after they had first moved, the woman was sitting on the bed facing the closet. Nothing had been placed in the closet yet, just a red flannel shirt belonging to her partner. As she sat in the bed looking at the otherwise empty closet, the arm of the shirt lifted, it turned 180- degrees to face her, then after a moment turned back at rest.
Although the family had moved, the kids still saw him. He was a comfort to them. One day, not long after they had first moved, the woman was sitting on the bed facing the closet. Nothing had been placed in the closet yet, just a red flannel shirt belonging to her partner. As she sat in the bed looking at the otherwise empty closet, the arm of the shirt lifted, it turned 180- degrees to face her, then after a moment turned back at rest.
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