Deep South Paranormal: SO FAR, PRETTY DAMN AWFUL

Not even a full five minutes into Deep South Paranormal on SyFy, and it's awful. Paratainment at its best best. Cartoon stereotypes: long beards, nicknames, lots of yee hawing. And what the fuck is going on with the alligators in a cage? After twenty minutes, I turned it off.

Oregon Ghost TV: Ghost Mines

Here in Oregon, the state's made the ghost TV big time. Premiering January 16, SyFy will bring us Ghost Mine at 10:00 p.m.

The premise seems to be a blend of ghost hunting along with treasure hunting. Hopes of finding not only spirits of dead miners, but fortunes as well, in exploring the mines at Sumpter, Oregon.

This link tells of the shady side of the mines in the area: Mountain ghost town home of Oregon’s greatest mining swindle.


Links:

TV show shot in Oregon mixes ghosts and mining | DailyTidings.com
TV show shot in Oregon combines gold mining with ghost hunting.
New ghost-themed TV show filmed in Oregon 

Saint Theresa | TDG - Science, Magick, Myth and History

Blogger emlong at The Daily Grail on medium Theresa Caputo, with a mention of medium Kim Russo of The Haunting Of. . . . Saint Theresa | TDG - Science, Magick, Myth and History

Best Paranormal Reality Shows

Stephan Wagner at Paranormal Phenomena on the Best Paranormal Reality Shows.

I haven't seen Paranormal Witness yet, one of Wagner's top three picks, but I agree with his two other picks: Celebrity Ghost Stories and My Ghost Story. As Wagner comments, both shows have believable people telling their stories, and the reenactments show some restraint with the cheesy effects. (So many of these shows go overboard with the dramatic camera angles and over the top music.)

I appreciate the fact both shows  don't throw in skeptics or debunkers or try to "rationally" explain away the encounters.

Visit Wagner's site and if you like, share your favorite paranormal reality shows.

Black Salt Synchronicity

Watching last night's episode of The Dead Files, and near the end of program during the reveal, medium Amy Allen suggests the "hauntee" use black salt (among other items) to help the spirit along her way.

I knew of the use of regular old salt for protection, but was unaware of black salt. "Interesting" I thought to myself. "I must find out more about black salt."

This morning, while shopping at Market of Choice here in Eugene, I was in the bulk spice and herb section. (Looking for spirulina in bulk.) I noticed right away the store had changed the way they arranged items since last week (last time I shopped there) and they also changed their containers. And right away, the one thing that visually jumped out at me, was a container of black salt!

Now I don't know if the store has always carried black salt; if so, I've never noticed it before. When I told Jim about this he said "You should have bought some; synchronicity." I said I did think of getting some, that it was a sign, but was trying to be careful of money. (The bulk spirulina wasn't cheap.)

Now of course, I have to get some. Or, make my own. In Googling "black salt" I found this delightful blog: Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom. Here's her entry on black salt:Magical Black Salt: What it is, how to make it, how to use it

According tho this hubpage, black salt is: "Black Salt called Kala Namak in Hindi."

Of course, there is a difference, so it seems and one can assume, between mundane black salt that occurs naturally, and the black salt used for spiritual practices.

Orange Orb Review: Divinorum Psychonauticus: A Guide to the Scariest Paranormal / Ghost-Hunting TV Shows

On my blog Orange Orb Review:Orange Orb Review: Divinorum Psychonauticus: A Guide to the Scariest Paranormal / Ghost-Hunting TV Shows

Sy Fy Ghost Hunting Show in Oregon

Small item in the Eugene, OR newspaper about a crew from the Sy Fy channel in Sumpter, Oregon, a ghost town. No mention of what the show is -- is it a new one, or one we're familiar with -- but it sounds like it might be a new program. Plans are to air the program in November. I haven't been to Sumpter but now I have to get out there!

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: A television crew is producing a multi-episode series in and around Sumpter, population 200, with the working title of “Ghost Mine.”

Skeptibunkie Joe Nickell on Coast to Coast!

Skeptic debunker Joe Nickell  will be the guest on C2C Wednesday night. So many questions dear readers: why why why is Noory having a skeptic on at all as the main guest? Nickell, who is packaged by the skeptibunkie infrastructure as a "paranormal investigator" is no friend of those who explore the paranormal realms. Oh he's mild mannered enough; tries his best to come off as pleasant and has, usually, less of a condescending smirk than Michael Shermer. And he's far less of an arrogant ass-hat than James Oberg. Still, dahlings, he's a "skeptic." (Nickell is infamous for his Owl Theory of Everything: Mothman, Flatwoods, and the Kentucky, Hopkinsville entities were merely owl sightings, theorizes Nickell.) I suppose we could be surprised -- after all, on a Ghost Adventures episode Shermer actually seemed satisfied with acknowledging he simply couldn't explain how or why something very ghostly indeed happened during an investigation. He didn't try to make ridiculous explanations or deny it happened. But I doubt Wednesday's episode of C2C will bring us surprises.  Will I listen Wednesday night? Probably, in spite of myself. Investigating Ghosts - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

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?

Lizzie Borden House and The Dead Files

The Dead Files returned for its new season last Friday; site of the investigation, the Lizzie Borden house. The Lizzie Borden case is fascinating. I've been intrigued by this story for decades. Did she do it? I'm certain she did. And it's a given the place is haunted, that's not debatable. Questions about intent, interactions and overall healthiness of constantly calling up the spirits came to me as I was watching the season opener.

The Borden house is now a bed and breakfast. People come from all over the world to stay there. The owner Lee-ann Wilber seems like an odd duck to me; she was on an episode of Ghost Adventures as well a season or two back. Both times she came across as ... strange. I remarked to someone watching the program with me that it doesn't seem healthy to live in a house like that, or spend a lot of time there. After awhile, I am sure something unwholesome is affecting your psyche. And I wondered about the spirits themselves: it's possible the spirits in that house have been become cranky. (Not to suggest they were ever positive; murder victims, sexual abusers, sadistic and debased individuals, murders, fear, pain, make for oppressive and angry ghosts.) A constant parade of people gawking at the gory supernatural carnival comes through the Borden house.  Who feeds whom? Both no doubt. What is true, what has been fed and created? The owners fuel contact; a ouija board, hidden under a sofa, was found by Amy Allan, the show's medium. Allan told the owners she isn't "anti-ouija" but, in this case, having the board there and making it available to paranormal thrill seekers isn't positive.

As the program pointed out, several years ago it was theorized that Lizzie and her sister were both physically and sexually abused. A very solid theory.

Amy Allan, The Dead Files medium, confirmed my feelings about the spirits in the place. She told the owner of the Borden bed and breakfast that the spirits are "...tired of being contacted" and strongly suggested to the owner she stop being so public. It doesn't look like the owner will; it's a money maker after all. In fact, you can buy a Lizzie Borden bobble head doll and other items from the bed and breakfast/museum site. And soon to come, according to their website, will be ghost cams. Oy.

That's What I Get For Watching Two Ghost Shows at Once

Fell asleep last night going back and forth between Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures. I woke up with a start and realized I had dozed off while the GA episode on a Savannah, Georgia pub was on; seemed very interesting and I wanted to finish watching it but had to give in to exhaustion.

So then I had my second recent ghost dream:

Jim and I are part of a ghost hunting team. I'm using a cane he made for me since my left knee gives me pain. (true about the knee, not true about the cane.) The house we're going into is in Chicago, and very haunted. Negatively so, particularly one of the two bedrooms.

Jim's the tech guy, I'm the medium. This is the first time I'm using my medium skills in an "official" context. We go into the haunted bedroom; Jim asks me if I'm sure I want to go in there since it's so full of bad ju-ju. I say yes, I'm not afraid, I'm grounded. The moment I enter I am almost literally knocked out with the energy of bright white light and three large round, flat cirlces. It's negative but not going to harm us. Not now anyway. It wants to communicate with me first and knows if it hurts us it won't have a chance. It's more important to this spirit energy that I hear it so it's behaving for now.


Jim asks if I'm okay and say yes, I want to go on. After that blast of energy I get my bearings. I see on overlay, like a transparency put up over the existing scene, of a young woman and a child, a boy I think, around eight years old. They're sitting at a nightstand, behind a lamp that is obscuring their faces. They, and especially the woman, are intentionally hiding their faces from me. These are two of the ghosts in the house. They are aware of the negative entity also present in this place.


This overlaid ghost picture contains information in the images. I "know" without exactly being told in words, the history of the woman and her child. Someone very famous lived in this house; someone like General Dwight D. Einsenhower, but it's clear it wasn't him. For some reason his name is being used to convey who it really was that lived here and I can't get a handle on it. I have a lucid moment in the dream: "Why not just tell me outright, why hide behind someone else's name?" I do know the person was famous, and a politician that had something to do with the military. He both abused and then killed his wife and child.


The lights and the energy are incredibly strong. I'm "told" via these images, this woman, that I can find out more in both specific places in the house, as well as archived materials in the local library and other records. 


I wanted the dream to continue but I was awakened by the alarm. I so hate that!

I don't know why the dream took place in Chicago. I've never been to Chicago and have particular connection or affinity for Chicago. The other ghost dream I had took place in the small town of Cottage Grove, which is about 25 miles from here. Both locations with "c" in their names.

Ghost Hunting Theories: How To Ghost Hunt From Home!

Autumn Forest at Ghost Hunting Theories shares information about a new ghost hunting program, via YouTube, but it's not quite the usual:Ghost Hunting Theories: How To Ghost Hunt From Home!

The TGAPHtv channel on YouTube gives you the hours of raw footage in haunted location to review. Be a sofa ghost hunter! TGAPHtv is a crew that goes to some amazing places. You have the chance to review their video and see if you can find anything. Let them know what video and what the time stamp was. It's their goal to share with you the important task of reviewing evidence