Choking Game.. Ghost Style.

Last night, I went to sleep not long after midnight. I was tired, to say the least. Everything was right in my world. I had my wonderful husband snuggled beside me as we lulled off to dreamland.

Not long after 3 AM I had shot up in bed. I am not the type to do this. In fact, I am a very sound sleeper.

But last night, around 3:20, I woke to feel like I was about to literally faint. And the back of tongue, as well as a part of my throat went completely numb and tingly. It felt as if someone was cutting off my airway. I was being choked!

Never have I had something remotely like this ever happen to me. I never felt hands wrapped around my throat. But INSIDE, I felt like I was suffocating.

As soon as I bolted upright in the bed, the tingling and the numbness started to subside. As was the feeling of wanting to pass out.

Of course, this made my husband also bolt straight up and get worried. He asked what was wrong and if I was alright. I played it off and said I was, and that I must have had a bad dream.

Because he too knows that this is VERY out of character for me, where sleeping is concerned.

Now, is this something that is 'paranormal'? I do not honestly know. Maybe it is something medical.

But maybe, it could even be BOTH?

I cannot say for sure either way at this point in time. But I can say that I was more scared than I have been since the last physical encounter, which was a week after we moved in here. If you wish to know more about that experience, then please READ HERE.

If anyone that reads this can shed more light on what I went through, be it medical and/or paranormal, I am all ears (or is that eyes??). I'm flabbergasted.

Guest Writer, Robin...Her First Encounter With The Other Side.

My friend Robin, who I met through a mutual friend over on Facebook, recently had a loss in her family. Her Grandmother had passed away recently, and she went home for the funeral.

The following from my Guest Blogger, Robin is her story. And a first for her. And because of this, she now is a believer of the Supernatural. At least where ghosts are concerned....

Robin's Story


Last Tuesday my grandmother passed away. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s two years ago and her physical health was failing. Still, it was a surprise to hear that she had passed away so suddenly. I made arrangements to fly from New Jersey to Texas on that Friday to be there in time for her memorial service and funeral that Saturday. The service was beautiful and I was amazed, but not surprised, to see how many people came out to pay their respects to my grandmother.

It was a busy day, with friends and family coming from all corners of the U.S. to celebrate my amazing grandmother’s life. On Saturday, after the funeral and luncheon, my sister-in-law and her children, my cousin and my other cousin’s wife and son left to go back home to be ready for school on Monday. On Sunday, my aunt and her husband left and it was just myself, my brother, cousin and parents left at my grandmother’s house, along with my grandfather.

My grandparents live on 50 acres in West Texas. They live in the country, surrounded by scrub brush and cedars. We routinely see turkeys, foxes, rabbits, armadillos and numerous birds. When the lights go out in the house at night, it’s so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. There are no streetlights, nothing to throw off an ambient light for you to see by. There are flashlights all over the house so that you can see to get to the bathroom.

Because there were so many of us left in the house, our sleeping arrangements were a little weird. Being the only girl, I got the front bedroom with the double bed, nearest the bathroom in the hall. My parents were sleeping down the hall in the room with the twin beds. My brother was in the living room on the couch, which wasn’t that uncomfortable (I slept there the second night I was in town). My cousin was on the caretaker’s bed in the master bedroom with my grandfather in his bed.

On Sunday night, the first night I was in the front bedroom, I was sleeping soundly. All of us had worn ourselves out doing chores around the house for my grandfather. In the middle of the night, I woke up. I looked to the left of my bed and saw someone standing there. I thought maybe my brother had gotten lost on the way to the bathroom (remember, it’s super dark out there). I mumbled a, “Whatcha need?” and watched as the silhouette of the head turned towards me. I was straining my eyes hard to see who it was, but couldn’t quite make it out. The person never said a word to me, just turned to look at me. At that point, I realized that it was my grandmother.

Her hair, what I could see, was perfectly done and she was dressed in clothes, maybe the clothes that she had been buried in, but I couldn’t see clearly enough to tell. She exuded a sense of peace and happiness that all of her family was under her roof again.

I also knew that she had already been to see my grandfather and my cousin and brother and was leaving my room to check on my parents. She looked at me for a moment (I could tell by the way her head had turned) and then she turned around and left the room, right through the door. She had had knee surgery a few years back and walked in a gait that my grandfather called, “a hitch in her getalong,” and I could see enough to tell that she was walking that same way. She left through the door and I haven’t seen her since that night.

I told my mother about seeing her and she told my grandfather and he was calmed by the idea that she was at peace and pain-free after she had been through so much. But the story doesn’t end there.

On the Wednesday after the funeral, I was scheduled to fly out to come home. As I was getting ready to go through security to catch my plane, I called my mother to tell her that I was going to get out on time. She said, “I wanted to tell you before you got on the plane that your sister-in-law called (the one that had been at the funeral) and your niece woke up last night and your grandmother was in the room with her.”

Now, you might think that this is a child that is just repeating what she had heard, but we hadn’t told anyone about me seeing my grandmother. No one.

I sent a text to my sister-in-law asking about it and she said that she hadn’t seen my grandmother, but on Wednesday (the day after my grandmother died) she had been crying. She said that she felt a hand on her cheek and then my grandmother saying, “Hush now, sugar. I’m fine, I’m at peace. Quit that crying now.” Lord, if I can’t hear my grandmother saying that!

I’ve never been a big believer in spirits still walking the Earth after death. I never thought that I would actually see one. But, if I had to choose to see one, my grandmother would have been it. It helps all of us to know that she is at peace and happy and out of pain.

I know that when my grandfather, whom she was married to for 65 years, passes away, they will go together to wherever they need to go. They will walk hand-in-hand, happy to be together again.

3 AM Haunts

When speaking of 3 AM, I'm not speaking of the song from from the group Matchbox 20. Although, I do like the song.

But what I am talking about is how MANY hauntings seem to happen in that hour's time frame.

The get a better understanding about this THEORY, I suggest you read THIS.

Just a few nights (or should I say, early mornings?) ago, I had told my husband good-bye as he left to be at work for his 4-AM shift at the store. Normally on those mornings, I drift right back off to dreamland and am then up by seven.

But for some unknown reason, I was tossing and turning. This went on actually from the time I went to bed (which was 10:30 PM), until I got up for the day.

In the times that I fell back to sleep where you aren't in REM, but also not fully awake (I call it Sleep Limbo) I distinctly heard what sounded like foot steps through the upstairs. And even on the top portions of my staircase that leads down to the basement area (where my bedroom is).

This all started at around 3:45 in the morning, no sooner that my husband had left for his 10-minute trip to work.

Plus, I had even heard what sounded like the basement door opening and shutting in the five o'clock hour. No kids were up. Cats were not in the house. Husband was long gone to work. So, no explanation for the occurrence.

When I had gone to physically see if ANYONE was up, or if maybe my Brother-In-Law may have come in somehow, I found NO ONE. Not up. Not at the doors. Not sitting or even awake.

And all of my doors were locked.

It seemed that at least on this particular morning, in the three o'clock AM hour, there was a partier in the house. And this person enjoys crashing my sleep occasionally.

This is NOT the first time that something of this nature has happened to me.

Phantom Calls

Actually, I wasn't planning on writing on this blog page today. But, something happened a while ago that I just HAD TO write it down.

It was eerie. But fascinating. It was shocking, but in a way, calming. It was even a tab bit funny. That is, after said shock wore off.

I'd been talking to my father, long distance this morning. Almost three thousand miles space us apart.

Nearing the end of our conversation, after he told me of something strange happening, concerning his coffee pot, we got to talking about a package he is supposed to send my kids. Mainly to the oldest of my three in the brood.

At one point, he said he was still looking for...and stammered a bit, trying to think of the word he was trying to say to describe what he was speaking of.

Suddenly, for one split second in time, I heard a voice that was NOT of a male, and was sounding off in the distance, like they were trying to yell, as to be heard. Clearly, it was a female tone.

It said, quite plainly, mind you, "DVD!", just as my father thought of the word and spoken it himself.

At first I was in shock and awe. Especially knowing that he had the experience he did this morning, concerning coffee missing from the pot, in which he knew before hand was there, until he went for the next cup of 'joe'.

No sooner that 'both of them' had spoken, I blurted out that my dad's voice DRASTICALLY changed to more of a female's tone. That's when it hit me, he was NOT talking. SHE was! It's as if she was trying to tell him what he meant, and trying to make me know that he was speaking of a DVD he wanted to find.

Never have I had a phantom call in my life. Nor have I ever had known of an ethereal listener, either. It was a tad unnerving, to say the least.

After experiencing this lady telling me what I was to be told before my dad could blurt it out for himself, I did a little digging.

HERE IS WHAT I GOT FROM AN ARTICLE...

Strange, huh? It was a bit exhilarating to have this happen. Surprising, none the least, of course. But filled with excitement to have happen as well.

And the voice was not sounding like it was right there with us. It sounded distanced, and like it had to practically yell to be heard. It wasn't angry or sad. Just letting me know that my dad was trying to get out 'DVD'.

Was it my deceased grandmother, who's ashes are on the way here to my home? Or could it maybe have been my mother? Though, the voice didn't sound like either of them, really.

Weird!

Psychics and Mediums. Not all are real. Not all are fake. You be the judge.

Have you ever been to a Psychic for a reading? Were they accurate? Watch the following video and judge for yourself.



Many Psychics do "cold readings", where they ask simple questions that ask about say the color of hair or eyes, the deceased person's first letter of their name. Watch this video below and see how a 'Cold Reading' is done.



Some people that read this may very well get upset. But, a fraud is a fraud. Sure no self-proclaimed Psychic can be, or is completely right on the money 100% of the time. They after all, are still human.

But, to tell two scared, concerned, and grief-stricken parents that their son is dead, and can be found in the woods, 20 miles from their home, only to be found ALIVE is beyond reprehensible. Look at this for yourself...





After listening to these two videos, I kept on thinking to myself, why did Sylvia Browne HERSELF *not* go on Anderson Cooper and defend HERSELF?? Instead, she sent her Business Manager, Linda Rossi to defend her client.

In my *personal* opinion, if indeed Mrs. Browne is the legit Psychic that she claims that she is, she would have HERSELF, gone on to the news show and explained her flubs and her beliefs. Not leave it to some lady who lost it on air, in front of MILLIONS of viewers.

I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts on this subject.

Guardian Angels

Many people, especially within the Christian belief system, believe in Guardian Angels. They are an 'assigned' angel that watches over the mortal person and is with them through good times and bad.

The definition from Wikipedia states, "A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity. The concept of tutelary angels and their hierarchy was extensively developed in Christianity in the 5th century by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.

The theology of angels and tutelary spirits has undergone many refinements since the 400s. Belief in both the East and the West is that guardian angels serve to protect whichever person God assigns them to, and present prayer to God on that person's behalf.".

Take for instance, you get in to an EXTREMELY horrific car accident. One where the vehicle is nothing but a pile of metal and large car parts. One where people should not have survived. But you walked away from what should have been your death trap, with what is considered either to be mild injury, or moderate injury.

Many people would say that you must have had a Guardian Angel watching over you.

Also, most who believe in these winged souls, they most of the time feel that their personal angel is someone that knew the person in life (be it the person the angel 'serves' knew that person in life, or not) and then decided (or was told by God) to watch over that loved one until they too were called home.

Over at Angel Believes, my BFF wrote about her Whirlwind Vacation.

Naturally, Angel (yes, people her REAL name is indeed Angel) had posted gobs of pictures. But one in particular especially had caught my eye. And even she told me on the phone, when I asked about it, that she did NOT notice it, until AFTER she put the pictures on to the computer.

The picture in question? Take a look below...

Look at it closely. What do you see? I want YOUR opinion.

Angel is thinking it's her hand, although she doesn't remember raising it to that extent. And to *me*, her arm and her hand seem to be laying relaxed, next to her body.

After further inspection, with the picture enlarged on my screen, to me, it looked like jagged edges of an Angel's wing, suspended out beside the little girl's shoulder.

Note too, the transparency of the 'wing', how you can actually see through it! To me, if that was a real person's arm or hand, the mass would appear more solid, even in quick motion.

Plus, the curvature of the top end of the "angel's wing" is to perfectly curved out. As are the edges at the bottom.

What is your take on this picture? Is it appearing to be a Guardian Angel showing it's self as to prove that they are with the little girl? Or, maybe, is this a "play on light"?

Do YOU believe in Guardian Angels?

Poltergeists. It's not like in the movies!

You may have heard of, or have even seen the early 1980's movie, 'Poltergeist'. It revolves around a little girl named Carol Ann, who comes in to contact with an evil entity. This "man" reeks havoc among the girl and her family. The classic, and very well-known, timeless line is... "They're heeeeeere!", as Carol Ann sits in front of the family's television set.

A 'poltergeist' is what is also known as a "noisy ghost". Actually that is what the name is derived from, which is a German definition.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist

"About this sound Poltergeist (from German poltern, meaning "to rumble", "to make a noise" and Geist, meaning "ghost" or "spirit") is in mythology and folklore a ghost, spirit, entity, demonic spirit or being that manifests itself by creating noise or moving objects."

For the most part, Poltergeist Ghosts are not harmful. They move things, hide things and make noises to be heard and to communicate. Not to physically hurt you. Most cases are generally 'normal' and the people affected are not harmed.

Personally, I have had this sort of thing happen when I was a teenager. Though, it did not happen to me personally, the whole family unit was affected.

My grandma (Nana) had this one pair of reading glasses. She normally sat them beside her favorite chair, where she could read under the lamp light.

One day, she was looking for them and asked me to hunt them down. Of course I looked EVERYWHERE. I scoured the place top to bottom. As did my father and my step-mother.

For three solid WEEKS, we all looked for the reading glasses. To no avail. Of course, I got pegged for hiding them out of spite. At the time, Nana didn't believe that there was ghostly activity, and as a hard-core Catholic, vehemently stated that ghosts are of the devil's work.

We looked ALL over, high and low. Even in places that we should not have had to look in. Then, my step-mother struck gold! She found the glasses. But in the most unusual of places. It made all of our jaws drop. And made my Nana (finally) a believer.

My step-mom opened the china cabinet (as she did EVERY night for the last three weeks and before) to get the dishes out for dinnertime. Sitting there on the GOOD set of dishes, was my grandmother's reading glasses. Right there in plain sight. And they just "magically" appeared there.

There are other instances of hearing footsteps and things moving, and even voice activity that I alone have experienced. But that one really stood out to me. And the list is just too freaking long to talk about in one post (LOL).

Here is a book Author that I *highly* recommend to read. Including this book, out of the many he has written about all types of ghostly hauntings.

Here is a video of what types of Poltergeist activities CAN occur. All cases are extremely different. It is also has Ed and Loraine Warren (who are now both deceased), who are highly recommended and knowledgeable Demonologists. Some of what you are about to see, WILL shock you and make you think.

The Victorian View On Death...

True, I normally write about ghosts and hauntings. But I have a "closet" fascination. Some would call it a morbid one, to say the least. But it is practiced (though rarely) still today. Primarily in the south of North America's culture. A fascination that forces us to take a really good look at ourselves, our lives, and our mortality. And it makes us hope that those that we leave behind, will wish to remember us as we were, before death placed it's cold grip upon our shoulder.

Back in the times of Victorian culture, it was not uncommon in the least, that the grieving families would have pictures taken of their loved ones after death, as to capture their essence from life, in which death had robbed them.

The pictures were taken before the deceased person's funeral and burial. And some are so exquisite, that while, heartbreaking, they are beautiful.

The practice was called Post-Mortem Photography. The practice had begun in 1839. But died out after the turn of the century. These were not meant to be a morbid means of "clinging on" to loved ones. But to have a memento of those that were loved dearly. Especially of children, who died in great numbers back in the Victorian era, due to the very diseases that we have eradicated or have built better immunity to in this day and age.

The earliest works of photographers that were doing "Memento Photos" had primarily face shots, or full-body pictures. But without the coffin, in most cases.

As time drew on, then the photographers tried to capture the dead in as real a life-like state as possible. Sometimes, going as far as painting the eyes on to the eyelids, to give the deceased an "awake" appearance.

With some people, the photographer would lay them on a bed or on a love-seat and show the subject as if they were just sleeping.

Over on YouTube, I had found a lady who posts videos of collections of old VHS tapes she had of this very subject. They are made by GhostWatching.

While it makes your heart pound, and it leaves you a bit morose and makes the reality of your own mortality more surreal, the pictures are breath taking, and genuinely beautiful. Especially the children.