Touches and Such..Active Home Again

This past week has been a strange one. Between one of the kids, my husband and myself, it seems that the house seemingly is "coming alive" again, paranormally speaking.

And when it happens to my husband, it is HUGE. He isn't a complete skeptic. Not anymore. Heck, he isn't even at 50/50 now. More like 75/25. I had blogged about one certain incident that happened to him a while back that almost completely reversed his polarity on the subject. But it wasn't enough to completely change his mind. I even tried cookies! (=

Anyways, between the three of us, it's been exciting. And a bit creepy. Let's start with the oldest, shall we?

She went in to the kitchen earlier in the week. It was mid-evening, just getting dark outside. She opened the fridge to find something. I think she was thirsty and looked around for drink. She said she closed the door to the refrigerator, with her hand on the handle.

Next thing I know, as I happened to be sitting here at the computer, my daughter comes in to the living room with a puzzled, shocked look upon her face, with her eyes widened. She asked if I heard a "knock" coming from the kitchen. I told her no...

That's when she exclaims that she heard a knocking coming from INSIDE the fridge! She didn't dare open it and she said it was loud enough that I SHOULD HAVE been able to hear it myself. She didn't go in to the fridge for a couple of days after the incident, thanks to it freaking her out so bad.

As for my husband, he had a strange, but not scary experience. Let's just say that I think that the "extra cat" of the house finally made it's presence known to him.

He was sitting here playing his POGO games, minding his own business the other day. Doing the usual thing. It was midday and wasn't doing anything out of the norm, per say.

Out of the blue, my husband turns around with a look upon his face that reads utter shock and disbelief. Then out comes, "did something rub up against my leg?"..I sat there, with this odd look upon my face. Like "what the hell are you talking about?!". Then I asked what it felt like. And he said like a cat was rubbing against him.

One problem...All three cats were OUTSIDE. Our Bearded Dragon, Gobi is NOWHERE near able to brush up against anyone in the manner my husband described. And all three of my kids are long out of the "crawling" stage.

So, we chalked that one up to the "ghost cat" in residence that I have seen (from the corner of my eye)on countless occasions. The strangest part is that it is almost a spitting image of my cat, Shadow. And it happens so quickly, it's as if the cat is elusive on purpose.

Then, the same evening as when my husband had his experience, I too had a strange occurrence of my own.

As a mom, you have this innate ability to sense things. Even with your eyes closed and having music blaring in to your ears with headphones on (as to drown out the crowd while TRYING to take a small siesta). This includes people walking in to the room and those walking past you in said room.

Once or twice before, I have written a post regarding Shadow People. They are dark-looking figures with no real identifying features. And they can be seen even in pitch black darkness of a room, being that they seem DARKER than the room that they appear in.

Never once did I actually SEE anyone/thing go past me. But I felt it's presence and I also had "seen" the shadow whisk past me through CLOSED eyes. One reason I knew it was NOT a living, breathing soul was that it walked briskly past me TOWARDS the side coffee table on my side of my bed. As if it went through the lamp and through the wall right behind me. The wall leads out to the basement foyer and stairs to go up to the main area of the house.

And, not only did it happen ONCE. No. Of course not! It happened three or four times. Almost back-to-back. Each time, I opened my eyes to see an EMPTY room, with the bedroom most-of-the-way shut (as I had it).

Stupid ghost! Bad enough my kids don't always leave me be to take a little nap. Now the ghost(s) have to bug the crap out of me too!

Demonic Haunting, or extremely good fakery?

Watch this video in it's entirety and then leave YOUR opinion/judgement in the comment area.

**Please remember!!**... In this subject field, there is NO right or wrong answer. To debate the topic and video is one thing, but please DO NOT ATTACK one another in the comments section. We all have a right to our own PERSONAL views and opinions. Thanks.



As for myself, the first portion of the video, where the man is seemingly hung in the owner's attic is HIGHLY believable. And I feel it is good video evidence of demonic activity and spiritual hauntings.

The next segment of the dining table is sketchy to me. It seems staged.

As for the chair (white area) and the sheet rock, THAT is amazing, and scary at the same time. And more believable than the dining room area.

As for the WARREN segment, it too is difficult for me to believe. Why? Because for most of the time, you do NOT see but ONE person out of all that are in the room on the tape, as they are "communicating" through knocking. And how in the hell is a 10-year-old able to be SO calm while a poltergeist moves her chair as she (calmly) does her homework. Hmmm...

Real Life, (Local) "Ghost Hunters" wants to check Out My Place!

Over on FaceBook, I am friends with a couple of guys that are Lead Investigators of local-area Paranormal Investigation groups. Both are really awesome guys, and are helpful. One of them does YouTube videos of investigation tutorials and the like all of the time. You can find him there under the page Scream Freak 79. His name is Mike. And he the Founder of Viper Paranormal.

My other Paranormal enthusiastic pal is Alan. He's the Founder of Bedford Paranormal. We talked at great length for a couple days in regards to the happenings, both past and present that have been going on in my home around my family. We will be here for four years soon.

After telling Alan about everything that has transpired, and after he took a good look at the picture I had shown him of my daughter and an unseen arm (that seems to dissipate as it moves towards the wrist and hand area), he would like to come out and investigate the place.

We started talking not too long ago, after the last known incident involving ALL THREE of the kids.

Once in a while, they all get along. And this one night, they all three wished to bunk together in my son's room. Being THAT is a rare occurrence, I okay'd it.

Within about ten or twenty minutes, all three came running out of the room. Two in tears, all three with bug eyes. They were most certainly afraid. And mind you, when the lights are out in my son's room, and with the curtains and shades drawn, it is D-A-R-K in there.

When they came out, they about fell over one another as they ran through the hall, part of the dining area, and in to the living room as I sat here at the computer.

After catching her breath, my oldest said that as she was laying on her brother's bed, foot-end, she felt "weird". She looked down towards the floor. What she said next shocked even myself!

Apparently, in the pitch black darkness, she'd seen a hand, with an arm, that was a "black, dark shadow hand with an arm,that I could still see, even though it's really dark in B's room". It was, by her description, REACHING AROUND the end of the bed, and moving diagonal toward HER as if to try and grab her or touch her. And also, it seems that the other two kids had SEEN IT themselves as it was coming for their big sister.

After hearing what had transpired just nights before, and in the past, including my more-than-usual sighting of the little boy by the stairs of my basement foyer, and now even seeing him run past my bedroom down there here and there, as if he is going to the Family Area, Alan was getting concerned.

It's to the point that he would like to bring his Paranormal Investigation Team in, Bedford Paranormal (link above in previous paragraph). I made it well known that I will NOT have my kids here if/when it takes place. They can tell the team what they have seen/heard/felt, then it's time to ship them off to a friend.

That is IF I do this. Scott has yet to know of it. And I like that a private, localized group wants to take my case of haunted happenings. I have had a couple people tell me to contact Ghost Hunters. But nah! I love the show. But I really do not wish to have my family or my home on national TV. I'm no "fame attention seeker". Especially for THIS kind of subject.

Between Mike at Viper Paranormal and Alan at Bedford Paranormal, they have been a WONDERFUL help and guidance. They take my situation seriously. But they also look at it with a skeptic's view (think Ghost Hunters).

Now, how to tell the hubby that a local ghost hunting group wishes to check out our hauntingly active home...

Big Grandma's Story

My husband's Grandmother is lovingly known as "Big Grandma". No, not because she's "fluffy". But because she is a Great-Grandma. So when we tell the kids that we are going to HIS grandma's, we tell them we are going to "Big Grandma's", or as my son now lovingly calls her, his "elderly" Grandma (lol).

Yesterday, we went over to her place to give her our Mother's Day gift of a re-blooming lilac plant and the school pictures I'd promised her. We met up with my husband's parents there and my MIL got her new yard flag and her pictures of the kids as well.

As myself, Big Grandma and my in-law's were sitting around, talking, Big Grandma told us something that honestly, made my jaw drop. My MIL took more stock in it though than my FIL did, as I watched the expression on his face as BG told her amazing story.

Per her count, BG has now had two times of this experience happen to her. But in two separate locations of her house. Remember too, BG is 86 years old, that she is now a widow and lives independently and is for the most part, sharp as a tack.

Big Grandma usually doesn't go to sleep until the wee early hours of the morning of the next day. She is an avid bookworm. So, she will read a good while, then turn the TV to something and finally drift off to dreamland.

But apparently one night, as she was not really tired and by her account NOT asleep or dreaming, she witnessed something out of the ordinary. Especially to her.

Standing just a few feet from her, near the dining table, which sits in the spacious living room by it's large windows, stood a faceless woman in period dress, with a bonnet and long "house dress" from what sounded like the Pioneer days of the 1800's.

This faceless woman said nothing. Did not move or come towards BG. BG said she just stood there. And apparently was there for a good length of time before fading in to the thin night air before the old woman's very eyes.

A while later, as in sometime after the first appearance, this woman in period dress, who again was faceless, was spotted in BG's bedroom, as she laid in her room, trying to fall asleep for the night. Again, she was awake by her account. And she remembers exactly what the woman was like from the time before.

By what I understand, before the house was there, in which they've (her and Big Papa, before his passing earlier this year) lived in their home for a good 25 years, was nothing but pasture. And quite possibly a log cabin home (think Little House On The Prairie home) was there way before their home was placed upon its foundation. And this lady that BG witnessed coming to visit her was fitting in with the possibility of such a thing happening before her home was there.

By what I heard, shockingly of course, seeing as I never have seen, heard or even thought of Big Grandma being the "type" to believe in such things as ghosts, it sounds an awful lot like a residual haunting. Like whomever lived in that area of the land before is just trying to retrace the steps of a place that is no longer standing.

The lady figure never, in either instance spoke according to BG. Just stood there, "looking" at the frail lady with her faceless body, only to fade in to nothingness before her very eyes.

I'd love to figure out how to find more information about the land that the house currently stands upon. This could get QUITE interesting.

This Blog's Been Haunting me..And A Blog Hop

As of late, I haven't had any what I would call TRUE paranormal experiences. So I can't really write from MY perspective of close encounters or experiences. And if that is at times the case, I at times will post a video or an article about a Paranormal topic, and then give my thoughts, views and opinions.

When I do the latter, it can often times be time consuming. And after not really getting any feedback I felt it was time to stop writing on here for a while. And I stuck to my guns in that regard.

And in doing so, I hope that with the lengthy hiatus, I have managed to give my readers a good break, along with myself. So I'm looking to start back up writing on this page. Either of my own happenings or of paranormal things that I find of interest to talk about.

And feel free to join me over at the Weekend Wander over at For The Love Of Blogs as well.



It's a wonderful community of bloggers from all kinds of spectrums of writing.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll be writing again in here VERY soon!

The "I'm Okay" Sign That I Recieved Was "Unconventional" To Say The Least

As readers on my other two blogs (The (Not Always) Happy Homeaker Diary and The "Mental"-ist Mom) know, my husband's grandfather had passed away almost a week and a half ago.It was expected, but hard on us all, none the less.

About an hour before he passed away, my husband and I had made it to the house (where he died, as he requested) to say our final goodbye's and let him know that it would all be alright and to "just rest now". Within ten minutes of getting in the door of our home, after getting the kids from a friend's house who watched them while we went to him, we got "the call" that he had expired after suffering health-wise the last couple weeks.

After telling the kids that their great-grandfather passed away, and answering their questions, it was time for them to bed down for the night, seeing as they had school the following morning. Then, not long after, I decided I too needed to head off a bit earlier than normal for bed, being it was such a long, "strange-feeling" (as if I KNEW that death was going to be imminent and VERY soon, as did some other family members as well).

I'd gotten down stairs and hit on my main bedroom light, rounded my bed and touched my touch-lamp to go on to the middle setting. From there, I proceeded to ready myself (and the bed that was calling my name) to slumber.

Suddenly, the touch-lamp had ON ITS OWN, before my very eyes, went up to the high level setting. Never before did this "glitch" happen. Never. I couldn't find any reason for the lamp to turn it's self up of it's own volition. And myself and nothing else was close enough (or strong enough of touch/force) to make the lamp set its self.

Suddenly, like a natural reaction, out blurted from my lips, "Okay Papa, I got you. We are okay and thanks for the sign".

Yes indeed, I even surprised myself after the fact that I just so calmly stated what I had and that I (instinctively) knew that it was him, telling me he was okay. It's as if Big Papa wanted me to get the message (so to speak) as to put Scott (his grandson who he shared a VERY close bond with) seeing as Scott would "take my word for it".

Since that time, I haven't gotten any "feelings" of Big Papa hanging around. Be it here in my home, or at the home he shared with his wife of 62 years. I think that Big Papa is at peace, and happy. He has reunited with his youngest brother who passed in December, his parents and other family I'm sure he'd missed over the years.

But to get the "sign" from him (which yes, I truly believe it was Big Papa and not a malfunction of the lamp) felt wonderful. Made me realize that indeed he DID think of me and love me as one of his own.

Alien and UFO Sightings. They ARE Real. The Vatican Says So.

Like I had once stated before on a post here at ParanorMel, I do believe that there is intelligent life other than ourselves out in the universe. And that to think otherwise, personally is absurd and rather egotistical of us as a human species.

To read the post, and view the videos within it, please click on More Stars, ET, And Creationists, Oh My!.

Now the Vatican has stepped up and have made a major announcement. That there REALLY are aliens from other planets, and that they are not just conjured up stories of crazies and those with mental illness.

Monsignor Corrado Balducci has stated that indeed UFO's are NOT a figment of people's imaginations. And that contact with Extraterrestrials should NOT be considered "demonic" and that these encounters should be 'carefully' studied.

To read the article, CLICK HERE.

Not that I feel that I "need" the Vatican's "permission" to believe, or not to believe, but I am actually GLAD that a church group that I am no longer a member of or have "faith" in (more for it's "rules" and views on topics, not the people themselves who are in the congregation) has stood up and had the "balls" to actually ADMIT that they recognize that there IS life out in the universe among us, and that we are not "alone" in the galaxies.

Do I believe in alien abductions? Not really. But I do believe that they come to our world and study us from above. And one time on the way home to our old place out in the country, as my husband was driving down a dark, windy road that we have traveled countless times before that night, I had seen an "unusual looking" aircraft.

This "aircraft" had some strange lighting on it, unlike the lights of a basic commercial or private plane. And the way it maneuvered was extremely odd. It wasn't staying straight. It kind of jetted to a side and back in to it's original place. Then, like it had a jet pack on its back, took off.

To this day, I still cannot for certain say that it was an ordinary, everyday airplane. I saw "something" flying over the farm fields that night. And I firmly feel that it was alien in origin.

What are your thoughts on UFO's, aliens, abductions and life on other planets (both within and outside of our galaxy)?

Does This Video Show "End Times" that the Book of Revelations in the Bible Speaks Of?

Watch this video CLOSELY.



Seemingly a "ghostly" rider comes charging through the rioting streets of Cairo, Egypt.

Is this a "reflection" of the camera? Is this a faked (be it a good one) play of the video?? Or is this the TRUE sign that the Second Coming of Christ is near and that soon End Times prophesy is unfolding before our very eyes?

Thanks to my brother-in-law, Casey for telling me about this phenomenal (and seemingly paranormal) video that was shot by MSNBC's camera crew while covering the Egypt riots.

In the end, YOU must decide for YOURSELF the validity of this video. Personally, I am skeptical of the Horseman being real. I'm not saying it is real. But I'm not saying it is fake, either. It is certainly an intriguing piece.

(Biblical Passage provided by Bible Gateway)

Revelation 6

The Seals

1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d] and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

The Sound In The Attic

I finally got a good listen to it myself. Eerie, to say the least.

As it so happens, I was in my girls' bedroom, where all three kids have been sleeping (seeing as my son's room has been ice cold, thanks to the Attic, which has the stairs leading to it within his room's access area) as to tuck them in for the night.

I'd already kissed and hugged the youngest and middle kids. As I was about to hug my oldest (who is eleven and still likes HUGS ONLY at bedtime) I'd heard it. It was a dragging/rolling sound above our heads. The attic sprawls the length of the house. And this was CLEARLY right above us on the East side of the home.

My oldest exclaimed "THIS is what we hear EVERY night, Mom! About every ten minutes something drags or rolls. It keeps us up sometimes."..

My husband has also heard noises from the attic of what sounds like a pencil being rolled back and forth while sitting alone, quietly in the living room.

Whatever is up there, it is being playful more than malicious or malevolent. Still though, even in the daytime, I cannot stand to go up there. At least not alone. No sooner do I get half way up the steep, narrow steps, do I feel a sense of someone not wanting me there. As if I am invading THEIR space and THEIR territory.

At least now, I have heard the noises for myself. Not that I had ever not believed my children, mind you. The kids aren't really scared. But they do get a bit agitated. I've told them to openly tell whomever is occupying my attic to keep it down and to let them go to sleep.

Has it worked to do that? I am thinking so, seeing as they have been sleeping better at night lately. But the noises still do happen between late evening and very early morning hours (before daylight).

My Old Hometown Haunts

...And not just as in where I used to roam when I lived in the area. These are some of the most popular areas of Fremont, California that are supposedly haunted.

The following sites that I am doing to list are from the website Strange USA

One area being Niles Canyon. Whenever I would ride through the area with my parents as a child, I never felt "easy" as we went down the road. I never could explain my feelings of dread...

When you go down The Canyon road you will find an off ramp that will lead you down to a creek... That is if you can drive all the way down the road... As you go down the road you begin to hear knocking and at about half way down the road you will start to hear a small boy laughing... Story tells that a young boy was killed in the basement of a cottage at the end of the road...he was found by his parents hanging from the rafters, when his parents called the cops they told them that there was no body in the house but mass amounts of blood washing up at the creek banks... Legend tells that if you make it down the canyon you can still see blood washing up on the creek banks and hear a young boy laughing...No Trespassing

Where I used to live was a part of the Mission area. In fact, I attended Mission San Jose High School back in the day....

Built in the late 1700`s, Mission San Jose has had a lot of curious history. A fire destroyed the original Mission, and the 1906 earthquake leveled the old church. Both have been rebuilt, the church about 12 years ago and the mission in the 1800`s. There are cold spots and mists in the mission itself, uncanny feelings and mists in the courtyard by the fountain. An old cemetery adjacent to the church is the site of many disturbances, including unexplained whispers and crying (several Fremont pioneers are buried here, as well as countless Natives). Also in the church itself, where there are graves in the floor in the Sanctuary and in front of the altar. Severe cold spits are felt near the graves. Across the street from the mission sits an historic tavern, where witnesses say they have seen several Native looking people in old clothing cross the street and disappear as soon as they enter the courtyard of the mission.

Now, as for my old home, it had changed a bit apparently. But not too much over the years.

Yes, that IS my former home. The one I'd primarily grew up in. And the one that gave me some memorable "moments" that I would much rather forget. There were one too many creeks, bangs, footsteps that were not "living"-made, voices and "gas"-like apparitions for my taste. Especially after seeing my (then two weeks post death) deceased mother walk past me as I glanced up in the hallway's bathroom mirror as I was brushing my teeth. Oh, and did I mention that I was home alone at the time, being that my father was at work already?

Are They Building On HAUNTED Grounds?

In my local news paper, there is talk of a court hearing that is to happen sometime today over the wold-wide known retail chain, WalMart and it's wanting to build "near" a National landmark from the Civil War.

Read the full article HERE...

As most of us know, the Civil War ended up being one of our nation's most bloodiest battles, with hundreds of thousands dead. And this site that the WalMart wishes to build on is certainly one of the bloodiest areas. And to many of us that wish to preserve history, one that should remain untouched and kept as a place of remembrance. Of our history, and of those that fought and died.

It is said that sometimes, when you build on grounds such as this, that you may unintentionally "awaken" the spirits of those that had lost their lives on the grounds some years before.

Take for instance, the infamous story of the haunting of Toys 'R' Us in Sunnyvale, California.

To read in detail about Johnny Johnson, who reportedly haunts the famous toy store and why, READ THIS ARTICLE. And be sure to read BOTH pages, being that the second page speaks of the types of things that happen at the store.

Personally, I do believe that building on ANY kind of "sacred" grounds can have ill effects. For both the living and for those that are still here after their worldly passing.

My family has strong ties to the Civil War, as well as to World War 2, when we went to war with Germany. In both cases, I say leave alone which is to not be touched. To infringe upon THEIR grounds where they fought, suffered and died to me is a disservice to them and to our country as a whole. And it is asking for those that are still restless to come and make their uneasiness well known to the living.

And I'm not one for having a can of peas thrown at me by unseen hands and forces.

*NOTE/DISCLAIMER*... I in no way endorse the Psychic featured here in the following video, Sylvia Browne. I myself even question her authenticity. But this is the best video I can find to at least explain the haunting's history and of what seemingly happens as reported by the (at least then) employees of the store in question. This video, remember is circa 1991.

Crop Circles

Like I've made well known in a previous post, I believe that there are other lifeforms out in the vast universe besides us. There is NO way that we can be the "only" 'intelligent' life forms around.

With that said, I think I feel like touching on the subject of Crop Circles, which coincide with the topic of aliens.

Crop circles are detailed "pictures" that are made in fields on farms. Let's take more of a gander in to this Paranormal phenomenon, shall we?

The following is provided by Wikipedia.

"A crop circle is a sizable pattern created by the flattening of a crop such as wheat, barley, rye, maize, or rapeseed. Crop circles are also referred to as crop formations, because they are not always circular in shape.

While the exact date crop circles began to appear is unknown, the documented cases have substantially increased from the 1970s to current times. Twenty-six countries ended up reporting approximately ten-thousand crop circles, in the last third of the 20th century, and 90% of those were located in southern England. Many of the formations appearing in that area are positioned near ancient monuments, such as Stonehenge.

Formations usually are made overnight, but have also been made during the day. The most widely known method for a person or group to construct a crop formation is to tie one end of a rope to an anchor point, and the other end to a board which is used to crush the plants. More recent methods include the use of a lawn roller.

Some crop formations are paid for by companies who use them as advertising. Other formations are sometimes claimed by individuals or groups without any evidence to support their assertion, usually after undesirable legal repercussions become unlikely." (Read more at the link provided)

One of the most famous "crop circle" movies has to be SIGNS (2002, Touchstone Pictures).

Spontaneous Human Combustion

Information provided by Wikipedia..

*NOTE: Not to be confused with spontaneous combustion.*

**WARNING!! Pictures at the bottom of this post may be too graphic for some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.**

Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) is a name used to describe alleged cases of the burning of a living human body without an apparent external source of ignition. While there have been about 200 cited cases worldwide over a period of around 300 years, most of the alleged cases are characterized by the lack of a thorough investigation, or rely heavily on hearsay and oral testimony. In many of the more recent cases, where photographic evidence is available, it is alleged that there was an external source of heat present (often cigarettes), and nothing occurred "spontaneously."

There are many hypothesized explanations which account for the various cases of human spontaneous combustion. These generally fall into one of three groups: paranormal explanations (e.g. a ghost or alien caused it), natural explanations that credit some unknown and otherwise unobserved phenomenon (e.g. the production of abnormally concentrated gas or raised levels of blood alcohol cause spontaneous ignition), and natural explanations that involve an external source of ignition (e.g. the victim dropped a cigarette).

Objections to natural explanations usually revolve around the degree of burning of the body with respect to its surroundings. Indeed, one of the common markers of a case of SHC is that the body — or part of it — has suffered an extraordinarily large degree of burning, with surroundings or lower limbs comparatively undamaged.

*Unverified natural phenomena*

* Since every human body contains varying strengths of electrical field and the human body also contains flammable gases (mainly methane in the intestines), an electrical discharge could ignite these gases.

* SHC victims are sometimes described as lonely people who fall into a trance immediately before their incineration. Heymer[3] suggests that a psychosomatic process in such emotionally-distressed people can trigger off a chain reaction by reacting nitrogen within the body and setting off a chain reaction of mitochondrial explosions. This hypothesis has been criticized on the basis that Heymer "seems to be under the illusion that nitrogen exist as gases in the blood and are thus vulnerable to ignition, which is, in fact, not the case."[4] (Mitochondria are organelles found within cells.) The hypothesis also fails to take into account the fact that nitrogen is an inert, non-flammable gas.

* Another hypothesis suggests high-energy particles or gamma rays[1] coupled with susceptibilities in the potential victim (e.g. increased alcohol in the blood) triggers the initial reaction. This process may use no external oxygen to spread throughout the body, since it may not be an oxidation-reduction reaction. However, no reaction mechanism has been proposed, nor has a source for the high-energy particles.

* The victim is an alcoholic and has been smoking while drinking or shortly after drinking a strong spirit. There are claims that this raises the blood alcohol level to a point where it ignites; however, this theory is implausible, since ethanol typically burns only if the concentration is greater than about 23%, whereas a fatally toxic level is about 1%.[5] However, this does introduce the probability that the victim will fall asleep while holding a lit cigarette.

*LIST CONTINUES*


**Natural explanations**

* Cigarettes are often seen as the source of fire in valleys. Usually, it is thought that natural causes such as heart attacks may lead to the victim dying, subsequently dropping the cigarette. Embers from cigarettes and pipes may also ignite clothes.[3] Additionally, cigarette steam at a temperature too low to trigger a flare up of most otherwise combustible materials. Typically if a person drops a lit cigarette on an article of clothing, it will create a burn-hole, but not ignite into an open flame and spread.

* The "wick effect" hypothesis suggests that a small external flame source, such as a burning cigarette, chars the clothing of the victim at a location, splitting the skin and releasing subcutaneous fat, which is in turn absorbed into the burned clothing, acting as a wick. This combustion can continue for as long as the fuel is available. This hypothesis has been successfully tested with animal tissue (pig) and is consistent with evidence recovered from cases of human combustion.[6][7]

* Scalding can cause burn-like injuries, including death, without setting fire to clothing. Although not applicable in cases where the body is charred and burnt, this has been suggested as a cause in at least one claimed SHC-like event.

Deaths...

* Robert Francis Bailey : United Kingdom, 1967
* Polonus Vorstius : Italy, 1470
* Cornelia di Bandi : Italy, 1731
* John Irving Bentley : United States, 1966
* George I. Mott : United States, 1986
* Mary Reeser : United States, 1951
* Helen Conway : United States, 1964
* Nicole Millet : France, 1725
* Phyllis Newcombe : United Kingdom, 1938
* Anna Martin : United States, 1957
* Jeannie Saffin : England, 1982
* Henry Thomas : Wales, 1980
* Janice McCall : United States, 2009 < not a SHC - surgical flash fire.
* Ginette Kazmierczak : France, 1977


Read more on the subject at the link provided for this subject that is posted at the *top* of this blog piece.

Two Times In Two Weeks..

Strange. For being (for the most part) a skeptic, he certainly is having a time of explaining away the last couple weeks of instances.

My husband is kind of like an Agnostic. He can't prove that God exists, nor can he prove that God doesn't exist. And he won't completely deny His existence. But is on the fence about the existence of God.

Same thing concerning my husband in regards to ghosts/spirits and paranormal activity. Yes, he DOES believe that there are other life forms (aliens) outside our universe and that it's a real possibility that they have visited our orbit. But the notion that there are some people that still "hang around" after this life is over is a bit of a hard pill to swallow for him.

Whereas for me, the subject of ghostly paranormal things is a no brainer. Ghosts/spirits DO exist, and yes, I believe that there is something beyond THIS life in our shells.

For many years, the subject of ghosts was a bit of a battle ground between the two of us. But after experiencing a few times what had happened for those first three weeks that I ever left him and the kids on their own to tend to family matters across the country, that battle ground seemingly got a bit smaller. And over the years, smaller than that.

So, in the last couple of weeks, including last night, it got even tinier. Though, with him, there will always be doubt I think, until something drastic happens (apparitions). Last week, I had told of his hearing what sounded like a pencil being rolled playfully by someone in the attic. To read about it, CLICK HERE.

That time, even though myself, the kids, and my husband were all either in the living room or the dining room (seeing as it was dinner time), it was only my husband that had heard the sounds coming from the attic, which spans the entire length of our home.

Last night, the kids were all asleep. And one cat was sleeping with the girls, while the other was not even in our room at the time of the occurrence. We heard no one (kid or cat) come down the stairs.

Out of the blue, my husband gets really still and he is obviously startled. Then, he asked me if I hear any wind outside our bedroom window. Nope. Still as can be. He claimed he saw the light that comes from the security light in the backyard brighten and dim as if someone or something was walking back and forth. But no apparent shape (human or animal).

Then, he bolted his upper body (waist and up) from the bed a bit, but not in a fully sitting position to look towards the foot of the bed. This is when he asked me if I felt "that". I asked him what THAT was. He claimed he felt someone was sitting on the bed, and even poking at his foot area. Seemingly by his description, in a playful manner.

Oddly, nothing that HE experienced did I notice, feel or see. It was as if whomever or whatever it was, only wanted my husband to notice them for whatever reason. And normally (then again who said that myself, this family or this house was normal??) it is me that gets all the crazy, weird things happening, without any others in the house seeing/hearing/feeling it at the time.

With what is happening upstairs, the experience from last night, and by other things that I have seen myself as of late, it is looking to be very much a child-like haunting behavior. He or she isn't trying to scare us. But they ARE trying to be playful, get noticed and are very observant of the happenings within the house. Especially with my basement stairs...

Two Experiences/Encounters and an Award.

First of all, I shall thank the Academy for this prestigious...Oh wait, wrong award. My bad! Seriously though, I have been bestowed my FIRST EVER award for my ParanorMel blog. It's nice to have it recognized, even though my follower base is under twenty. But who's counting?

I have been given the Paranormal Community Leadership Award by Jessica Penot over at GHOST STORIES & HAUNTED PLACES where Jessica blogs about different places, buildings and homes that are (supposedly) haunted. I highly suggest you give her blog a look-see for yourself. You will NOT be disappointed. I guarantee it.

Thank you SO much, Jessica!  But other than you, I have no other bloggers to pass this along to that have not already received it, seeing as I cannot find many good blogs of Paranormal interest. If you know of any, shoot them my way, would ya?

Now, on to the next...As Jason and Grant from Ghost Hunters (which I missed last night, due to crashing from exhaustion last night) like to say at the end of every episode.

On November ninth (I wrote about this the next day on ParanorMel's "Like page over on FaceBook) my husband made all of us go eerily quiet. He heard something coming from the attic. After seeing that all three cats were downstairs or outside, and all of us humans were accounted for, he KNEW it was not a sound that was man or animal made. Especially seeing as the windows were worked on last year to no longer be opened or to let drafts in.

After he mentally figured out what was going on, then my husband finally admitted to me that it was NOT the first time that he had happened upon the sound. Mainly made during the three to five o'clock hours of the very early morning, before he leaves for his differing shifts at work.

Strangely though, this apparent reoccurrence was never even heard by myself or the kids when it happened as we sat at the dinner table. Only my husband had heard the sound. Then he went in to explaining about it and he grabbed a pencil. He started to move it back and forth in a playful manner. The wood could be heard rolling as it went between his fingers.

This is when I admitted about sometimes hearing the footsteps outside the bathroom, in the main upper hallway as I shower, with no other people in the house. And I also admitted to seeing once again, the little boy of about my son's age, and my oldest daughter's height standing the basement foyer's landing.

Now, for the most recent thing to happen to me.. And it was just this past Tuesday.

For the first time ever, since being in the area of  Central Virginia, I had gone to Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. You can take pictures of the outside grounds and in the discovery rooms. But there are no pictures allowed to be taken within the retreat home. If you wish to take a gander at the inside of the mansion and learn more about Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest retreat, CLICK HERE.

All was well and good with me. That is, until our first stop for within the home was the basement. The wine cellar was also located down there. You can no longer go down in to it, seeing as the stairs had long rotted away and had to be removed. But the original brick is still on its floor, though it is pulling up and the bricks also have now started to rot.

Looking at the old Wine Cellar, I got struck with a "feeling". A feeling of being watched. I knew then, that on this Fifth Grade trip, we were not alone with the Tour Guide that was appointed to us. Even looking across the way, to the other side of the basement, it felt uneasy. I didn't SEE anyone or anything. But I could certainly tell that the energy was static-like. We were being watched. By whom, I cannot say.

Was it by Thomas Jefferson himself? Or could it have been Or could it have been Hannah? She was one of Jefferson's most devout slaves of their time. It could have possibly been even James, who was the "overseer" to the fellow slaves, who was entrusted as the headmaster above the other slaves of the Plantation.

While I cannot say for sure, all I know is that I felt that "someone" was keeping a close eye upon me, the children that were in our class and watching that the homestead was not being abused in any way that would tarnish the look and feel of Poplar Forest.

Haunted History Tour... Borely Rectory

Borely Rectory was built over near Borley Church in 1862. It's creator was Reverend Henry Dawson Ellis Bull. The building's architecture was inspired by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. And at one point in time, the Rectory had housed fourteen kids.

The church, which sets close to Borley Rectory dates back to the Twelfth Century.

In 1863, the first reported haunting of the Borely Rectory had supposedly taken place. In 1900, on July 28th, a ghostly nun was reported to be seen about forty yards away, by four of the rector's daughters. As the girls enclosed upon this apparition to speak to the lady, the nun simply disappeared in to thin air.

Also reported from time to time is a phantom coach that has two headless horsemen driving. Bells ringing, footsteps that were heard and lights appearing in windows ended up being common place as well, mainly after the Rector's son, Harry Bull (whom had taken over as caretaker after his father's death). The rectory had at that point, sat in silence with no one to care for the place.

A year after Bull's death, the home was moved in to by another couple. Reverend Guy Eric Smith and his wife. Not long after, as Mrs. Smith was cleaning, she happened upon the skull of a female. Not much time after the discovery, odd things started up once more.

On June 12, 1927, a Paranormal Researcher by the name of Harry Price, along with the news paper reporter that hired him from The Daily Mirror had made their way to the home to see what all the hub-bub was about.

No sooner did Mr. Price enter it's doors, did Borely Rectory and it's spirits come to life. New occurrences had started to happen. Such as stones and vases being thrown by unseen forces, messages being tapped out within mirrors. But then no sooner that Harry Price had left the home after investigating, these strange things suddenly ceased. At that point, Mrs. Smith felt that Price himself was the one haunting the home and was trying to pull the wool over the couple's eyes.

In July of 1929, the Smith's decided to move on, and moved out of Borley. In 1930, a new person moved in to it's walls with his adopted daughter, Adelaide. The father's name was Reverend Lionel Foyster.

At one point, the phenomena started up once more. And it was to a point that Reverand Foyster tried to perform an Exorcism. But to no avail. Once more, Harry Price was contacted. And he suspected that the house came back to life again. Only this time, the happenings were more sinister and malevolent.

In 1948, Harry Price had passed away. Two of his colleagues had pieced together, the best that they could of Price's findings of Paranormal Phenomena within Borely Rectory. But mix in the fact that much of what was "experienced" within the Rectory's walls was mostly due to Price's own making, along with some other man-made "haunting" that is noted within the piece I am using as a research tool (link below), the two men could NOT definitively indicate that Borely Rectory was indeed haunted. "The Haunting of Borley Rectory" was published in 1956.

So all in all, it is a case of believe what you wish. And disbelieve what you will. This one is a case of "it's up to the reader to decide". Is Borley Rectory truly haunted, or have human hands tainted the home so badly, that we will never truly know fact from fiction?

To read more, please CLICK HERE.

The Bell Witch Legend

Again, we are touching upon the subject of witches. This one seems to be the true basis behind the movie, "The Blair Witch Project" (1999), which is a fake documentary about three teens that go in search of the Blair Witch and her "haunted cave" in Blair, Maryland. Needless to say, in the movie, the kids got more than they had bargained for.

This time, we are traveling to the Red River, which is located over by Adams, Tennessee. And this story is also the ground-base story for the movies "An American Haunting" (2006) and "The Bell Witch Haunting" (2004).

In the year 1817, John William Bell, Sr. had reported that he had come in to contact with an animal that was not of "normal nature", so to speak. This had happened in a cornfield on his farm in Robertson County. The animal that the older Bell had described was as follows..

It had the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit. Mr. Bell had claimed to have shot at it.

Later on after this strange creature happened upon the Bell's land, the family had started to hear strange rapping and gnawing outside of their home. At one point, these noises moved to within the home.

Eventually, the youngest daughter of the Bell family, Betsy, had started to claim that she was assaulted by something unseen.

As time went on, other things supposedly took place within the confines of the Bell Family's abode. Including poltergeist activity. Things like spirits moving various objects, their (the ghosts) speaking with and having conversations with the family and guest alike.

John Bell, Sr. had died on December 20, 1820, after suffering for a while after being inflicted by facial seizures, which rendered him unable to speak. Laying beside him, was a vial filled with a liquid that no one knew its contents. This liquid was fed to the family's cat by force, killing it.

In the latter 1800's, the Bell Family's home was torn down. The cave is said to be haunted by the witch that supposedly haunted, taunted and tormented Betsy Bell for years. Those walking through it's hollow passages have reported different sounds coming from within the cave's depths, such as laughter and footsteps. Also, there were reports of eyes watching it's visitors and just plain "creeped out" feelings.

Who is this Bell Witch, though?? She is reported to be (thanks to folklore) the spirit of a woman named Kate Batts. She was supposedly a tyrannical, mean-spirited old lady, and the Bell Family's neighbor. Miss Batts came to believe that John Bell, Sr. had cheated the old lady out of some land when he made his purchase.

As she had laid on her deathbed, she cursed Bell and swore that she would haunt him, his family, and the future generations of the Bell's descendants.

Is any of the legend true? Maybe so. Does Kate Batts still haunt the cave where the Bell Family's home once stood? It's possible indeed. I guess the only way to find out is to take a trip to Adams, Tennessee and find out for yourself.

Reference links to read more about The Bell Witch are as followed...

The Bell Witch Cave

Bell Witch History

Skeptic?

The Bell Witch Haunting

Bell Witch the Movie

Reader Request... The Blair Witch

The following delves in to two different categories of the paranormal. One of course being of a haunting/ghostly type nature. The other being of Black Magic and Witchery.

Most of my generation has at least heard of, if not have actually watched a movie from 1999 called "The Blair Witch Project", where three students make a fake documentary about the Blair Witch of Blair, Maryland.

According to legend, this ghostly 'witch', who's real name was Elly Kedward, was pegged to be a witch who had cast evil spells amongst the townspeople of the 1780's.

Elly was found guilty and was banned to the deep forest in the middle of winter. About a year later, many children just simply went missing. Of course, the witch, Elly Kedward was the first suspect.

The following are some excerpts from "The Blair Witch - The Facts"...

"In the 1820s, the abandoned property of Blair, MD was brought to the attention of a man by the name of Burkitt.  He purchased the property from the government, renovated the abandoned buildings, and rechristened the town after himself.  Burkittsville was founded in 1824, and still stands in Maryland today.

Just four years after the founding of Burkittsville, there was an incident involving a young child named Eileen Traecle.  This small child was wading in a very shallow stream.  Allegedly, before the eyes of at least a dozen eyewitnesses, a ghostly white hand reached up from underneath the water and pulled Eileen Traecle into it.  The water was reportedly less than a foot deep, yet the body of the little girl was never found.   For weeks afterward, several wooden stick figures mysteriously appeared in the creek bed, and the water itself became oily and contaminated for several months...."

"...However, after the little girl returned alone, the search party that had gone out after her had not returned.  So a second search party was organized to find them.  Their search ended at Coffin Rock, near the creek where Eileen Traecle had met her death less than fifty years before.

The second search party claimed they found the first search party stripped of all their clothes and belongings, and their bodies were tied to Coffin Rock.  Their intestines had been removed and their reproductive organs had been mutiliated.  On their chests, hands, feet, and foreheads, strange cryptic symbols had been painstakingly carved into their skin...."

"...Outside the shack and a small distance away they found seven graves marked with piles of stones.  When the graves were dug up, the children's bodies were recovered.  Their bodies had been treated in much the same way as the accounts of the victims at Coffin Rock.  Symbols had been cut into their faces, chests, hands and feet.  They had been disembowled...."

"...Rustin Parr, it was reported, admitted to the murders, saying the voice of an old woman told him to do these horrible deeds.  After the seventh death, the old woman's voice told him he was finally free.  He was sentenced to death by hanging, and his house was burned to the ground...."

To read all of the article in it's entirety, please scroll back up and click on the provided (highlighted) link from which these excerpts were obtained. The Blair Witch is an intriguing legend, to say the least. Some people still go to Coffin Rock and step inside the cave.

Those that dare to tread within, both during the daylight hours, as well as in the still of the night, claim to at times hear odd noises no sooner that they set foot on the grounds at the mouth of Coffin Rock. Some even tell of hearing an elderly woman's disembodied voice come from the depths of the seemingly endless cave dwellings. Sometimes, even a manic chuckling or all-out maniacal laughter.

This legend, and it's legendary namesake is of a story where you, the reader must decide for yourself. Is this a tale of a woman of the 1780's done wrong, and wrongly accused, as was the case back in the period of witchcraft, only to pay for the town's mistake and bring forth her wrath to following generations for eternity to come? Did a man claim insanity and admit to murders that he himself committed, only to blame it on a dark fairytale?

Or is The Blair Witch legend just that, a legend? Maybe it is a story to tell around the campfire and make all the children run to their tents and hide in fear of the possibility of something coming to get them?

Only Elly Kedward and Rustin Parr know the REAL truth behind whatever fiction lies behind the story.

Vlog...Getting to know the REAL me. (an introduction/rundown/test video)

EVPs..Their 'official' name is Electronic Voice Phenomenon. Many people that go on ghost hunts carry either a tape recorder with a clean tape inside, or an electronic/digital recorder and go around asking questions, in the hopes of getting a response on playback.

This is the best way to hear a ghost/spirit speak to you. The definition of EVP via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_voice_phenomenon is...

"Electronic voice phenomena (EVP) are electronically generated noises that resemble speech, but are not the result of intentional voice recordings or renderings. Common sources of EVP include static, stray radio transmissions, and background noise. Some have claimed these sounds are of paranormal origin,^[1] while there are natural explanations such as apophenia (finding significance in insignificant phenomena), auditory pareidolia (interpreting random sounds as voices in their own language), equipment artefacts, or simple hoaxes. Recordings of EVP are often created from background sound by increasing the gain (i.e. sensitivity) of the recording equipment."

Personally, I have never had this happen for me. And actually, I have never tried. But I would love to.

There are also three different Classes of EVP. Class A, being the clearest you can capture. Class C, being the lowest in comprehension.

Here are a couple of videos that I have found that have obtained Class A EVPs...

(In this one, at the beginning a skelleton with a top hat kind of "bounces out" at you in their logo. Don't be alarmed.)





In this next one, it's pretty amazing how clear the answers are. This is what would be called an Intelligent Haunting or spirit. The only thing I do not like about this, is the fact that the person recording all of this is using an Ouija Board, which I highly recommend against, due to personal experience years ago.




For the last video, this man has picked up EVPs of children who have passed away, but are stuck between this world and the next plane of existence...Not for the faint of heart when it comes to kids.