High Spirits: The Ghost Log Blog

UROPA

On May 15^th a Utah based paranormal group came to the library for a ghost hunt.  They are UROPA from Brigham City, Utah.  As always we are happy to hear from such a professional group.  Although it will take time for them to prepare a report of their findings, I wanted to share a little information about the group.

(Taken from their website)

About Us

UROPA was formed in June of ’08 but has members that have been involved with the paranormal for several years.  We are a small group of people that have a professional attitude and strong sense of integrity in pursuing the study of hauntings.  We are Brigham City’s first “established” group of paranormal investigators.  UROPA is not looking for “fame” or “fortune” through our endeavors but have a genuine desire to help.

We are in no way trying to prove the existence of “ghosts” to anyone yet acknowledge that this phenomenon exists.  Our efforts in this field of study allow us to help others understand what may be taking place in their homes.  We gather and provide to homeowners any possible evidence that could indicate something paranormal is happening and educate those involved in hopes of easing the stress a haunting…

UROPA will “ghost hunt” at public locations with the intent of learning and experiencing possible phenomena in an effort to help those that live with what could be considered “uneasy” or to some, frightening.  We will collect as much “evidence” as possible in regards to hauntings and welcome anyone to prove that it is, in fact, not paranormal…

We believe that fundraising for events are a great way to help support historic buildings and such that have reported activity.  We do not believe that accepting money for these kinds of events (in our own pockets) is ethical.  We do spend money in travel and on travel and on equipment, but this is what we have chosen to do.  Paranormal investigating is not and should not be a business…

UROPA will in no way compromise our integrity by making false claims of paranormal activity.  This field is difficult enough without having false claims made by novice or “expert” investigators.

We look forward to helping those in need and those that are just curious about their situations.  Knowledge can contribute much to ease fear of the unknown…

Utah Researchers of Paranormal Activity

For more information on this group or if you have questions for them please visit:

www.uropa.org

Special thanks to John, Traci, Kelly, and Dylan for their time and efforts.

Girls/Guys Paranormal Investigators

From time to time I hear of paranormal groups that start up locally.  When I can I try to get information on them so we are aware who is in the area so when asked we can report that there is a group and they might be called upon to investigate.  Well there is a new group Girls/Guys Paranormal Investigation.  GGPI is a Wyoming based paranormal group, made up of 6 members Paula Birrell, Hally Tomich, Dustin “Duds” Owens, Stan Tomich, Zack Owens, Josh Dillard, and Devin Shinkle and some guest investigators.  They are a Non-Profit group set out to help people in need of their services.  In hopes to help find out what really goes bump in the night.  Sometimes it’s paranormal sometimes it’s not.  If you have questions or would like their help feel free to contact them.

GGPI have done investigations in Rock Springs, Green River, Bryan, and Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.  They are a young group and have only been in existence for two years.   Gradually members have been added and the team is developing.

During our last October Ghost Walk, one participant Paul came forward and said she had captured a full apparition in the stacks.  We were very excited and asked if she would share the photo with us.  She said she would but for some time we lost track of each other.  Just recently she stopped in and shared the website for their group and said the photo was listed there.

I have seen several pictures taken by others that I was not clear what they were seeing.  This photo however is clear to me.  I have heard stories of staff and patrons seeing the “man in the top hat” for a few years now.  I have never seen him myself.  All I can say is WOW.  Paula Birrell took this photo after having a strange feeling and looked down the stacks and saw a dark shadow.  This is the best photo we have received to date.  If there are others out there we have not seen them.

Original Photo

Do you see the man to the left?  He is just this side of the bright reflection. He is in dark suit, white dress shirt, and top hat.

Cropped and enlarged photo.

For more information on the Girls/Guys Paranormal Investigation team please visit their site at:

http://www.ggpix2.net/photo_album.html

Special thanks to Paula Birrell for sharing her photo with me.

Psychic Children

Recently I was flipping through channels one night trying to find something to watch on television and I ran across a show called “Psychic Kids: Children of the paranormal”.  I am always looking for a new paranormal show so I stopped and watched.   The premise of the show is two adults that are professional psychics; take two or three young people and their parents to a psychic weekend get-away.

Generally it seems many of the young people are having difficulties as you might have guessed dealing with their special connections.  Many families and friends do not understand what it is they are going through and it has taken a hard toll on their young lives.  Although they did not ask for their gifts they try their best to deal with what they see, hear, feel, etc.  It is very hard on them.

The psychic adults that are doing the “workshops” seem very kind and understanding.  As they phrase it “We have been there and we know what it is like”.  And they do seem to try to teach the young people how to take control and get their lives back.  Unfortunately if is sometimes hard and it does take time.  They are given steps and tools to work with.  After time things do seem better, not always totally ok, but at least they are providing hope for someone that otherwise would seem lost.

In some ways as a mother I found it disturbing to see how scared and distraught the kids were and how hopeless their parents seemed.  As a parent s, when you hear a child say they talked to someone many of us have assumed that they have an imaginary friend and we dismiss it.  Well…maybe we should not always dismiss it so quickly.  If you watch a few of the episodes you will see just what some of the children are dealing with.  Some of it is very intense.

After watching one episode I am hooked.  I now try to catch new episodes whenever I can.  I have learned a lot from just the few I have watched.  If you have a child that is having similar difficulties or you have gifts of your own and need help you might contact the experts on the website for assistance.  Or if you are interested in watching please visit A & E Television or the website below.

http://www.aetv.com/psychic-kids/index.jsp

Ghost Walk EVPs #3

Here is a continuation of the October 3oth, 2009 Ghost Walk EVPs.

EVP #13-1030092249

EVP #14-Evp9502

EVP #15-Evp 3

EVP #16-Ill

EVp #17-media950

I will be posting approximately 6 at a time.

A special Thank You goes out to all those that were willing to send in the EVPs and share with us.

Ghost Walk EVPs #2

Here is a continuation of the October 3oth, 2009 Ghost Walk EVPs.

EVP #7-1030092044

EVP #8-1030092257

EVP #9-1030092314

EVP #10-Evp9501

EVP #11-1030092109

EVP #12-1030092247

I will be posting approximately 6 at a time.

A special Thank You goes out to all those that were willing to send in the EVPs and share with us.

Ghost Walk EVPs #1

First let me apologize for being a bit behind in posting the EVPs from the October 30, 2009 Ghost Walk.   Many of you have been asking when they would be posted and I finally have them ready.

Some are clear but others are not.  Take your time when listening and make sure you are in place where there is no or very low noise.  Also these sound bites are not cleaned up or enhanced by using software.  They have been sent to Ellie or me directly from the devise that the record was made on cell phone, digital recorder, etc.

On several you will hear those of us on the Ghost Walk, but there are definitely other sounds to be heard.  Please let me know what you think you hear.

EVP #1- 0.44.0-0.54.0-step down…

EVP #2-1030092115 (sounds like walking)

EVP #3-1030092251

EVP #4-evp

EVP #5-Evp 2

EVP #6-Ill touch

I will be posting approximately 6 at a time.

A special Thank You goes out to all those that were willing to send in the EVPs and share with us.

“Are the ghosts drawn to certain people more than others?”

This is a long standing question for anyone that is interested in the unexplained.  Many times when a ghost is seen or something moves we search to find an answer.  People are very curious by nature and let’s face it…we want to know.

When looking to experts for answers we find they too are unsure.  There is no exact proof of a connection, but many times in seems spirits are drawn to one person more than any other around.  I know a couple people like this.  It seems that where they are spirits are.  This might just be being at the right place at the right time, but I do believe there is something about them that is more open to whatever is out there.

Have you ever known anyone that has had claims through out their lives of spirits?  If this is the case we must keep in mind that they have had these experiences at different times and different places.  It would stand to reason that if there are so many variables, we look at what is true for each event, the same person.

Each person has his or her own aura, spirit, mindset, etc.  This sets the stage for the spirits.  If you were a spirit and you bumped into someone that really was a non-believer or their mind was closed to spirits, what would you do?  If it were me I would turn away from that person and find one that I could communicate with.  Someone that is open to anything, nature, emotions, energy, etc.  This is the person that any of the experts on television seem to think are like a lightening rod for ghosts.  They are people that embrace the spirit world and have not wall in place to block what may come forward.

When surfing the web there are many blogs and websites that list this same information.  Maybe more people than we think may be clairvoyant, empathic, and intuitive.  My conclusion is that yes, many times it may be one person pulling the spirits toward them.  This may not be the case every time of course, but yes I believe we “invite” spirits to contact us from time to time.

And more than not, little children are the most open.  Children just have not learned to block out such things.  They are pure spirits themselves.  What do you think?

This famous photograph was taken in 1936 during a photo shoot for the magazine Country Life.

Photo courtesy of Obiwan’s UFO-Free Paramormal Page.

Be very cautious when buying “Haunted Objects”

I know this just seems ridiculous to most of us. Why would you go out looking to buy an object that is haunted? To me that is just NUTS! I think you would be looking for trouble. Also it would stand to reason you just might get more than you intended.

While researching another article I stumbled across a posting on the TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) site by Al Tyas titled Buyer Beware! Collecting Haunted Object.

Excerpt from his article
Now I am very familiar with the slogan “Buyer beware” because slowly but surely strange things began to happen in my home. It began with the usual feeling I was not alone. Then along came the electronics going haywire. The remote control flips by itself, and the phone disconnects. Strange scratching on my outside door has occurred as well, and I did see a gray image in the corner of my bedroom. My cats stare and cry at nothing as well. Most of this was ok for me, mainly due to all the haunted homes I’ve been in. However, the two most awkward things that have happened so far are the big giant orb seen on the Infrared camera and the feeling someone is sitting on the side of the bed….those I’m still adjusting to!
-Al Tyas,
Director,
DC Metro Area Ghost Watchers (DCMAG)

To read more click on this link:
buyerbeware.html

I collect antiques myself, but I think I will ask questions of the buyer when doing so. I definitely would not like an uninvited house guest. I have been told threw out time that one person or another had had an item that their family member was very attached to. It was handed down to members of that family, but it also apparently brought grandpa with it. Is it possible that our loved ones loved their items so much they are not willing to leave them?

Do you have any stories you would like to share?

I would love to hear from you.

Word Cloud by Wordle.net

If you have ever been cruising the internet and came across something that looks a little like this, it is called a word cloud.  They are the hot new trend.  They look cool, people become curious and they do have a bigger purpose.

If you look close you will see that the “word cloud” actually take the words from the website and places them in a way that shows what is shown most to least.

Take a look and see all the words that I have used while writing my blog.

If you are interesting in doing your own check out Wordle.net.

Where are the Ghosts?

There are times patrons report hearing noises and there are times staff report they have seem something down the stacks.  There are times when a voice is heard that is not really there.  So you may ask “Where are the Ghosts?”  The answer I always give when asked is, “Ghosts do not appear on queue.”  As much as we would like a spirit to appear right when we want them to, it just doesn’t work that way.

Patrons ask me all the time if there is one special place in the library that they can sit at where things will happen.  That may work at some haunted locations, but not here.  I do not claim to be an expert in the paranormal but I do have some experience with spirits.  So for what it is worth my take on all of this is simple….I think that from time to time the conditions are right (weather, time of year, etc.)  our world and their world “bump” into each other.   So often we go for long spans of time without anything and then we will receive several reports all at once, so who knows.

Just like all other ghost hunters, paranormal groups, etc., we just do not have all the answers.  As for the staff here at the library we just gather information and record it in the Ghost Log to share with the public.  If you ask staff if the library is haunted you will get several different answers, yes, no, or maybe.  Some of the regular staff has had occurrences and others that have worked here for many years have had nothing.

One of the ladies that I work with often has said she thinks it is actually some of us on staff that are actually causing the occurrences’.  I suppose it is possible, but there were reports long before any of us in question join the SWCLS staff.  A few staff members have stated that during their lives there have been many spirits appear to them at different times of their lives.  We refer to them as “sensitive’s”.   So I guess you could say there may be many reasons for the happenings.  Many of the events actually happen when a few of us are around more than not.

This brings up a whole other question, “Are the ghosts drawn to certain people more than others?”

Tune in next time for more info on this question.