Marla Pena's Shadow of the Shinigami: "Ghostly Tales From My Family"

Fellow Binnall of America columnist Maria Pena writes about her family stories of ghostly encounters in Marla Pena's Shadow of the Shinigami.

I grew up listening to my relatives talk about ghostly apparitions. As a child, I loved to go to my grandma's house where everybody would often gather to chat and visit, but the most interesting part of the conversation for me was every time the paranormal topics came up, like ghosts, apparitions, and UFO sightings (among others).

The first paranormal account came from two of my older aunts (who lived through the Mexican Revolution). They said that, as young girls, they started using the Ouija board often. They both said that they used to invoke, unintentionally, the spirit of a priest which conveyed beautiful poetry; poetry that they starting writing in paper. However, the most important incident for them came when another alleged spirit asked for their help to convey a message to a loved one. They were provided with a name and an address so they did as they were told. To their surprise, they were able to corroborate the information they were given.

Ghost Hunting Theories: Abandoned Places - Coming Soon In Print!

Another book I want to read: Abandoned Places, Abandoned Memories, Desert Edition by Sharon Day and Julie Ferguson. The book is available electronically, now it's also in print. More info at Autumn Forest's Ghost Hunting Theories.

Investigate Ghosts, Paranormal Activity with your Video Camera - SFGate

Intro and basics of using video cameras in paranormal investigations. (h/t to Anomalist for link.)Investigate Ghosts, Paranormal Activity with your Video Camera - SFGate

Another link kindly provided by The Anomalist is this review of Haunted Girl: Esther Cox and the Great Amherst Mystery on the Who Forted? blog. Writers Lauire Glenn Norris and Barbara Thompson:

"...go to great lengths to provide a biographical narrative that is not only historically accurate, but pleasantly neutral and objective. In stark contrast to other books about Esther Cox, no potential stone is left unturned as to the possible causation of the alleged phenomena – providing the reader with a unbridled look into the life of a 19th Century girl living in very unusual circumstances. “The Haunted Girl – Esther Cox & the Great Amherst Mystery” is as much a biography of Esther Cox’s life as it is a much needed retrospective case study of the phenomenal events that surrounded her from 1878 – 1879.

Ghost Communication & Open Lines - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

C2C tonight has medium Rob Gutro discussing ghosts:Ghost Communication Coast to Coast AM

The UFO Trail: America's Most Haunted Hotel

Jack Brewer at The UFO Trial has a good piece on his visit to the Crescent Hotel in Arkansas. The UFO Trail: America's Most Haunted Hotel

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Dream Ghost Hunting Team: GA and DF

I'd like to see a two hour special ghost hunting combo: Ghost Adventures and The Dead Files, together, investigating spirits. Keeping with the usual methods of each and coming together at the end to share their findings.

Remaining Skeptical Even When...

Watching The Dead Files last night, I wondered at one of the witnesses of ghostly activity who remained skeptical, even after years of ghostly happenings. Even after years of his wife and children telling him of their experiences. Even after years of his own experiences, which he admitted to, and still...

I knew someone who lived in a haunted house. Local news went out a couple of times, tons of people witnessed haunting type things, I experienced plenty of things myself on several occasions, and this person did as well. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to just come out and say "This place is haunted; there be ghosties about." He would only shrug, pretend like the conversation had nothing to do with ghosts, or just up and walk out.

Is the idea of ghosts so out of sync with one's ideas about "reality" that they continue to deny there's something "other" going on? Seems so. Whatever ghosts may be in terms of parsing paranormal definitions: residue energies, personality remnants, intelligent spirits, non-human entities, etc. it, like UFOs, are simply non-debatable. I no longer argue with others about the reality of these things. I understand being skeptical if one hasn't experienced hauntings directly, but once you have, how can you continue to be so goddamn stubborn?