May 2008
IPRA Senior Research Tech Andrea Lafreniere who is Jacqui’s oldest daughter. Gifted like her mother she has spend a large part of her life searching for answers to unexplained phenomena in her life. Andrea is a photographer in St. Louis and her art has been featured in some of the leading expo’s in and around St. Louis. To learn more about this amazing young lady please visit her website at http://www.cnlphotography.com. Andrea’s artwork is insightful and moving as she captures the natural beauty that surrounds her. Her work adorns many homes and brings peace to her clients.
Women’s International Studies of the Paranormal Conference
By: Lisa E. Carmody
Beginning on Friday,
May 23rd, 2008 and ending on May 25, 2008, the first Women’s International Studies
of the Paranormal (“WISP”) conference was held in the basement of the Greef
General Store in Bentonsport, Iowa. Bentonsport is a small town in the county of Van
Buren which is southeast of the city of Des Moines and is located on the Des Moines
River. It was an active village even before the state of Iowa was born and an important
port-of call for the Des Moines River steamers. The Greef
General Store was built around
1840’s and currently sells antiques, crafts, gifts and other items. It is also
a museum depicting early life in Bentonsport .
Friday evening was a meet and greet session, which gave people the opportunity to get to know
each other and to enjoy a piece of cake with a cup of coffee. On Saturday morning, after the
introduction of the hosts, the conference began with Rochelle Evans, a co-founder of The
Paranormal Realm (“TPR”), a paranormal research organization, which is comprised of open minded
individuals dedicated to researching, documenting, and studying paranormal phenomenon through
the use of various techniques and equipment
After a brief description of TPR and about herself, Rochelle’s topic was “Women and Their Role in the Paranormal.” She spoke of influential women in the paranormal field and how the common denominator among the women was their psychic abilities. Rochelle went on to say that women needed to unite in order to form paranormal research and investigative organizations, to enter the educational arena by teaching and to write articles and/or books. She concluded by strongly emphasizing that there should be unity, not competition, among the women in the paranormal field and that there needed to be more women leaders as many of the groups are run by men.
The next speaker
was Phyllis Galde, editor-in-chief of FATE magazine. She
spoke of her own personal paranormal experiences and did a brief video of the whole
history of the FATE magazine.
After the lunch break, Kristy Hinkle was up next. She runs an organization called Celestial Paranormal Research and Investigations (“CPRI”), which is devoted to finding answers . After a slideshow presentation of various photographs and videos, Kristy spoke of her own personal experiences and discussed her book “Haunting Existence” as well as her radio show of the same name.
Steven
LaChance, the founder of Missouri Paranormal
Research and co-founder of the Paranormal Task Force (he has since left these groups to
pursue independent endeavors), did a video presentation of an episode of “A Haunting” on
the Discovery Channel which documented his own and his family’s story of a very dangerous
haunting (the episode is called “Fear House”). Among his achievements
are the documentary “Children of the Grave” and a book “The Uninvited” which
will be an upcoming major motion picture. He gives lectures and will be traveling
with the Haunted Survivors tours, which includes John Zaffis and other well-known paranormal
figures.
Also speaking with Steven was his friend Linda, who was also a subject of the “Fear House” documentary. They answered several questions from the audience.
Jacqui Carpenter was next. In addition to being a co-host of WISP along with her daughter Beth Cory and Kristy Hinkle, she is the founder, along with her daughter Beth, of International Paranormal Research Association, Inc. located in Iowa. The philosophy of IPRA is to give worldwide teams an opportunity to assist in research requests from programs in need of field studies. IPRA is also dedicated to establishing a worldwide network of teams to be able to bring research into a formatted cohesive program and establish paranormal research as a viable legitimate research project. Jacqui Carpenter is also a psychic medium and gave readings to several members of the audience.
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Co-Host Beth Cory manned the controls for the live feed of WISP |
The conference
concluded with Patrick Burns, a paranormal investigator for TruTv show “Haunting Evidence.” He is also a founder of Ghosthounds and a professional
photographer. He spoke of his own paranormal philosophy in which he emphasized that one should
have an open mind to possibilities even if it’s not what one believes and that there are NO
paranormal “experts.” Patrick also went on to state that our research can not yet withstand
the scrutiny of science even though we collect what appears to be amazing evidence because
at the end of the night it is still inconclusive. Patrick Burns also displayed the equipment
that he uses on “Haunting Evidence” which consisted of a chart recorder, thermal scanner/noncontact
thermometer and a camera with infrared built in. He showed various video clips from “Haunting
Evidence” which demonstrated some of the unusual things that occurred while he was using his
equipment. After a question and answer session, the lectures ended.
On Saturday night, there was an investigation of various locations around the Bentonsport,
including the Mason Inn House, a 162-year-old paranormally active bed and breakfast place.
Members of the conference were broken up in teams during the investigations. Sunday morning,
the group gathered together in the basement of the Greef Store to share stories and evidence. The conference was so successful that there are already plans in the work for a second one next year. Be sure to be on the lookout for any announcements regarding the second annual WISP expo!
The Ghosts of the Mason House Inn
People always ask us “Did you know the place was haunted when
you bought it?” Well…. Yes, we did know it was haunted, but not this haunted.
When my husband, Chuck, and I bought the Mason House Inn Bed and Breakfast in June of 2001,
the sellers told us that Mary Mason Clark had died in the third floor south bedroom in
1911 and they had seen her ghost up there several times. But if we just left her alone,
she would leave us alone. The house where we lived in Virginia had the ghost of a fifteen-year-old
boy in it and he liked to play tricks on us, so one little old lady who wanted to be left
alone should be no problem. We decided to use that room as storage, and we’d keep
the door closed, and we’d all be happy.
Well…..soon after that I started seeing an old man with white hair and a black suit.
He would be behind me when I was cleaning rooms, I’d see him over my shoulder but when
I looked, and nothing was there. Sometimes I’d see him in the hallway mirror, standing
behind me, sometimes in the parlor mirror, always behind me but not there when I looked. One
day I was looking at the pictures that are hanging in the foyer and I saw him in the picture.
It was Frances (Frank) Clark, Mary’s husband. Then I started seeing another man. He was
about mid-thirties with brown pants, cream long-sleeved shirt, and reddish long hair and a
full beard. This man would also watch me as I cleaned rooms. He would walk up and down the
second floor hallway and I would hear his boots as if he walked on a hardwood floor, but the
hallway is carpeted. One day I was cleaning in Room 7 when I heard the boots coming toward
the room. I looked up and saw him walk into the doorway. He stopped and looked surprised to
see me. I certainly was surprised to see him! We stood and looked at each other for several
seconds and then he just faded away. Boy was I shaking after that!
Then our teenage daughter, who was staying in the third floor north bedroom, told me she’d
seen a woman in a long white night gown on the third floor landing. She said she thought it
was a guest exploring until she disappeared. Our youngest daughter was having tea parties with
an invisible friend named Amanda and then started complaining about a cat being on her bed,
but we saw nothing there. Chuck said he felt the cat on our bed too. It was lying on his legs
and he could feel the weight and the purring vibration. Our guests would tell us about seeing
a small child playing in their bedroom and then she would run through the closed door. And
there was a strange knocking sound in Room 6 that would go around the walls and sometimes on
the ceiling and windows, one guest even recorded it for us; it sounds like Morse code. Other
guests would tell us about the lights or the water in their bathroom turning off and on, or
the doors locking and unlocking by themselves and sounds of footsteps in their room. Some told
us of a young woman sitting at the vanity in Room 5 and brushing her long blond hair. Others
have seen a woman in a long blue dress coming down the stairs, or a woman in a dark skirt and
white blouse looking at them in their bed. We decided there was more than just one little old
lady ghost here, just how many ghosts did we have?
We did not tell anybody about the ghosts then, because we did not want to scare anybody off.
But then, in May of 2004, a teacher brought her class here for a fieldtrip and she was taking
pictures of the kids. In Room 6 she told everybody to gather on the bed and she took their
picture. Back at the school she downloaded the pictures into the computer and in the Room 6
picture there were 15 kids and 16 heads. She called me, all excited, and I went over to the
school and emailed the picture back to the Inn computer. There were kids sitting on the bed
and standing along the wall and in front of the window is a smaller child, glowing blue, and
out of proportion to the other teens. Chuck adjusted the color to take out the glare, and there
was a boy with a flat-topped hat, we could see his hair, ear, and one shoulder with an epaulet
like a uniform. We could not see his face because the boy in front of him is leaning over and
the hood from his sweater is standing up, right in the way of the mystery boy’s face.
The teacher was sure this child was not in her class, plus she had told all the boys to take
off their hats; the other boys are holding their hats. We sent the picture to a friend of ours
who is a Civil War expert, he said the hat is called a kepi and is typical of a Civil War era
uniform. I looked at this picture for a long time, willing him to talk to us and tell us who
he is or was and why he is still here in our Inn.
Chuck and I started doing some research about the history of the Mason House and found that
it was built as a hotel in 1846. We found a newspaper clipping that talked about a hospital
at the hotel during the Civil War. A paragraph in an autobiography written by Senator William
Mason told us that his father, Lewis Mason, ran a station on the Underground Railroad from
the hotel and the barn behind it. Another newspaper article talked about a tuberculosis
hospital here in 1913. Another previous owner told us that during the 1920s to 40s the
building was a boarding house for the town teacher and doctor and his wife. The doctor
would bring his sicker patients here as his hospital and many of them died here from typhus,
cholera, and diphtheria. An obituary we found told us that Mary Frances (Fannie) Mason
Kurtz died in our dining room in 1951. Seems like more than just one little old lady had
died here. We wished the walls could talk and tell us more.
Then, in February 2005, we received a call from Chris Moon, a ghost
hunter in Denver, Colorado, asking if he could come here and do an investigation. We’d already had several ghost
hunting groups through here and they all said the same thing….”Yes, you’re
haunted.” But we already knew that. So we said no thanks to another investigation
that would only reveal the same thing. But Chris said one thing that the others did not:
he could tell us who is here and why they are here. Okay, that was different! So, Chris
came out in May 2005 and he brought his “Edison’s Telephone to the Dead”.
He turned on this box and out came voices, it was amazing! Finally, the walls were talking!
Through many sessions in the last three years, we have found out that Curtis is the man
with the reddish hair and beard. He died on a riverboat near here. He likes to walk the
hallways, watch me clean the rooms, and lay on the beds because they are comfortable. Harold
is a Union Civil War soldier who died here and he does the tapping on the walls in Morse
code. He says he has a message for the people in the bed and he wants them to decode his
message. Mary Mason Clark is indeed on the third floor, but she also walks around the Inn
checking on the guests, opening and closing doors. Frank Clark is the man in the black
suit. He and Mary ran the hotel for much of their lives and they love the old hotel and
don’t want to leave. Amanda is a fourteen-year-old girl who plays with our youngest
daughter and she is also in charge of the other children, of whom there are about a dozen.
They mostly died here when it was a hospital, some are still waiting for their mothers
to come back and get them. Katie is the three-year-old people have seen in their room and
I have seen Morris who is about seven. Markie is the boy in the picture. He was a Confederate
soldier and he died here in the hospital during the Civil War. He did not know he was dead,
just having a very long strange dream. He was in Room 6, sitting on his cot and looking
out at the river, when the teacher told him to get in the picture, so he did. Patricia
is the woman in the blue dress and Julia claims the vanity in Room 5. Herma is fascinated
with the ‘water closets’. Lewis Mason told us of a hidden tunnel on the property.
Chuck is currently trying to find it. Lewis said some runaway slaves were hiding in it
when it collapsed; he wants them found and properly buried. And Josephine is the cat who
likes to sleep on the beds. You can read more about the spirits we have met on our web
site at www.MasonHouseInn.com . Click on Ghost Hunting 101 on the left side and then click
on Joy’s Journal at the end of the second paragraph on that page. You can also read
the GHU Results – the transcripts of the Telephone to the Dead or “Frank’s
Box” as we call it (because a man named Frank built it with directions from Thomas
Edison). Chris Moon comes here several times a year and holds a ghost hunting class called
Ghost Hunting University. You are welcome to come and hear the Box for yourself. The class
dates are on our web site and also on Chris’ web site at www.hauntedtimes.com . Many
other ghost-hunting groups have found interesting evidence. The IPRA group filmed a segment
of their show “Seekers of the Paranormal” and they got some really good EVPs.
You can see the episode at www.iprainc.net . Another group, from Missouri, got ‘something
fantastic’ on their infrared cameras in the hallway, but we haven’t had the
reveal yet and they won’t tell us what it is! A man took the following picture of
his brother outside of Room 3. There is a face in the window above his left shoulder. You
can see a man with a handlebar mustache and a curl of hair on his forehead. The white thing
under the face is a book lying on a little table inside the room about three feet from
the window. There is no body below the face. The man who took the picture does not have
a mustache. Yes, the man is smoking a cigar and there is smoke swirling around his head,
but the face is behind the glass. Harold says it is him. He says it was a “lucky
shot”.
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Yes, we knew the Inn was haunted, but we did not know how haunted. Harold says there are about 65 spirits inhabiting the Inn. We have the names of 22 of them and 14 have been sighted several times by many different people over the seven years that we have been here. They are here because they are happy here and don’t want to leave. None of them are evil or harmful. Some have already gone to the Light and are here by choice, and some are still earthbound. Some like to interact with the guests, some want to make sure everybody is comfortable, and some just want to be left alone. The children run up and down the hallway, playing like children do. Harold likes to play little pranks, but nothing malicious. We love being part of the history of the Mason House Inn, which we run as a Bed & Breakfast. So if you are looking for a quiet getaway to southeast Iowa, come to Bentonsport, on the banks of the scenic Des Moines river in Van Buren county, and maybe you will meet one of our inhabitants, or maybe you will just have a very relaxing evening. Either way you will love it here, too.
Chuck and Joy Hanson, Innkeepers at the Mason House Inn B&B in Bentonsport, Iowa. |
Quantum Thoughts
By: David Rountree
It has been said that quantum physics was the panacea of the 20th century. It provided explanations for radioactivity, antimatter, and it is THE theory can match on how light and particles behave in the microverse.
Admittedly, Quantum Mechanics can warp your mind. Quantum objects exist in multiple states
and places at the same time, requiring an expertise of statistics to adequately describe
them. With layers of uncertainty and paradoxes by the boat load, the entire concept has
been criticized by much of empirical science for casting doubt on the whole idea of an
objective reality, throwing many physicists, (including Einstein), into a logic meltdown.
The struggle today among many scientists is trying to apply quantum mechanics to advance
technology (the quantum computer, etc.), and mating quantum physics and general relativity
into the perfect theory of quantum gravity.
Quantum theory really developed in the early 20th century, when Newtonian Physics failed
to explain observations being made at a microscopic level. The theories of the day held
that atoms could vibrate at any frequency. This was the direct cause of a wealth of incorrect
predictions concerning their capability to radiate infinite amounts of energy. This
buffoonery became known as the ultraviolet catastrophe.
Max Planck resolved this problem in 1900 by postulating that atoms only vibrate at specific,
or quantized, frequencies. Later, in 1905, Einstein cleared up the mystery of the photoelectric
effect, in which light falling on metal releases electrons of specific energies. At the
time light was believed to be waves, which failed miserably to explain the phenomenon.
Einstein’s solution was to suggest that light came in discrete packages of energy
called photons. This would be the basis for being awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in
1921.
Light's ability to behave as either a particle or a wave, depending on how and when it
is observed, had been troubling scientist for many years. The Danish physicist Niels Bohr
proposed that this wave-particle duality “did away with” the concept of a
reality separate from one's observations. His "Copenhagen interpretation" outlines
his theory that the act of measurement affects what is observed.
Controversial experiments have challenged this either/or scenario of light by uncovering
evidence that light displays both wave and particle like behavior at the same time. In
fact, there may not be any photons at all. Light appears quantized only because of the
way it interacts with matter.
There are other interpretations of quantum theory that deal with the measurement issue
by suggesting quantum objects display several behaviors because they exist in an infinite
number of parallel universes. Recently mathematicians have proved this to be possible.
But there are several more theories to consider.
Wave-particle duality was also “explained” by another equally bizarre notion
of quantum theory, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. The brainstorm of Werner Heisenberg
in 1927 and recently refined enforces an upper limit on knowledge. It states that one can
never know both the position and momentum of a quantum object because by measuring one,
the act itself invariably changes the other.
Interestingly Bohr defeated Einstein repeatedly in a series of thought experiments in from
the 1920s through 1930s using this very principle. However, later work would suggest the
underlying cause of particle duality is “entanglement”.
Entanglement simply states that in the quantum world, objects are not independent if they
have interacted with each other or come into being through the same process. They instead
become linked, or entangled, such that altering one affects the other, no matter how far
apart they are.
Einstein called this "spooky action at a distance".
The concept of entanglement is far reaching, with ties to superconductivity and it possibly
explains why objects have mass. Entanglement may eventually allow us to “teleport" particles
across vast distances. The first teleportation of a quantum state occurred in 1998, and
since then scientists have been entangling every particle they can get their hands on.
Secure networks
Entanglement is used by the IT industry on a wide scale now. It provides an absolutely
secure method of communication. Quantum cryptographers can send "keys" to decode
encrypted information using quantum particles. Attempts to intercept those particles disturb
their quantum state creating an interference that is detectable.
Austrian financial institutions performed the first money transfer encrypted by quantum
keys, in April 2004, and in June, the first encrypted computer network with more than two
nodes was set up across approximately 6 miles in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Researchers
are working on ways to maximize the particles' signal and the distance it can travel. In
the UK engineers recently sent encrypted photons down the length of a 60-mile fiber optic
cable. Researchers in the US developed a plan to entangle successive clouds of atoms in
an effort to create a quantum link between Washington, DC, and New York City.
The Quantum computer is another project that
is gaining momentum. As quantum particles exist in multiple states at the same time, they
can be used to perform many calculations at once, factoring a 300-digit number in seconds
compared to years by conventional computers. A trio of electrons were entangled in a semiconductor
in 2003, and the first quantum calculation was made with a single calcium ion in 2002.
In October 2004, the first quantum memory component was built from a string of cesium atoms.
But particles of matter interact so easily with others that their quantum states are preserved
for just billionths of a second. Photons however, maintain their states a whole lot longer
because they are less likely to interact with each other. The draw back is they are hard
to store, since they travel at the speed of light.
Scientists stopped light in its tracks in 2001, and the first quantum logic gate, a necessity
for quantum computers was created with light in 2003.
There are four fundamental forces of nature. The strong interaction is very strong, but
very short-ranged. It acts only over ranges of order 10-13 centimeters and is responsible
for holding the nuclei of atoms together. It is basically attractive, but can be effectively
repulsive in some circumstances.
The electromagnetic force causes electric and magnetic effects such as the repulsion between
like electrical charges or the interaction of bar magnets. It is long-ranged, but much
weaker than the strong force. It can be attractive or repulsive, and acts only between
pieces of matter carrying electrical charge.
The weak force is responsible for radioactive decay and neutrino interactions. It has a
very short range and, as its name indicates, it is very weak.
Quantum Mechanics explains these three with ease. It is the fourth one, Gravity that Quantum
Mechanics fails to address. The gravitational force is weak, but very long ranged. Furthermore,
it is always attractive, and acts between any two pieces of matter in the Universe since
mass is its source. Quantum theory has no explanation for it as of yet. This has not stopped
a number of bizarre theories from popping up in an effort to create THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING,
many of which propose that the fabric of space-time bubbles up with random quantum fluctuations,
a foam of wormholes and infinitesimal black holes.
This foam is believed by some to have filled the universe during the big bang, causing
a wrinkle in space-time so that bodies such as stars and galaxies could later form.
The most popular quantum gravity theory is String Theory, although there
is some new research that may alter this acceptance somewhat. Essentially, String Theory
states that particles and forces are created from the vibrations of tiny loops or strings.
Another line of thought is that space and time are discrete at the minutest scales, emerging
from abstractions called “spin
networks".
Still another recently devised theory called "doubly special relativity", fine tunes
Einstein's concept of one cosmic reference (the speed of light) and adds another microcosmic
small scale. The highly controversial theory explains gravity, inflation, and dark energy.
While there is no shortage of theories, quantum physics is commonly believed to act on light
and sub atomic particles. Many traditional researchers subscribe to the belief that there has
to be a cut-off point where Newtonian physics takes over, specifically the point where the
pull of gravity overwhelms the other forces. However macroscopic objects can obey quantum rules
as long as they don't become entangled.
Controlling quantum atoms or photons will mean making giant strides in technological advancement.
Cooling atoms to near absolute zero have produced new forms of matter called Bose-Einstein
and fermionic condensates. Currently these have been used in the creation of laser beams composed
of atoms that etch precise patterns on surfaces, and may lead to the creation of superconductors
that will work at ambient room temperature.
Quantum mechanics is the most probable area in which we will find a scientific explanation
for the paranormal. It is from this point of reference that we are look to find answers.
IPRA Affiliate Team ARPAST
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Featured IPRA Affiliate team this month is ARPAST. President and Senior Researcher Larry Flaxman has been actively involved in paranormal research and hands-on field investigation for over ten years, and melds his technical, scientific, and investigative backgrounds together for no-nonsense, scientifically objective explanations regarding a variety of anomalous phenomena. He is the President and Senior Researcher of ARPAST, the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team, which he founded in February of 2007. Under his leadership, ARPAST has become one of the nation’s largest and most active paranormal research organizations, with over 150 members worldwide dedicated to conducting research into the paranormal using the most stringent scientific methodology. ARPAST is also now a proud member of the TAPS family (The Atlantic Paranormal Society). Larry supervises a staff of fully trained researchers and over $250,000 worth of top-of-the-line equipment. Widely respected for his expertise on the proper use of equipment and techniques for conducting a solid investigation, Larry also serves as technical advisor to several paranormal research groups throughout the country. |
Larry has appeared in numerous print interviews, including features in local and regional newspapers, magazines and online publications such as The Anomalist, Times Herald News, Jacksonville Patriot, ParaWeb, Current Affairs Herald, Unexplained Magazine, and The Pine Bluff Commercial. He has been interviewed for several local and regional news television outlets such as “Ozarks First,” as well as national cable television, most recently appearing in a two-part special on ARPAST for MudTruck TV, and he has been interviewed on dozens of radio programs, including “X-Zone,” “Ghostly Talk,” “Eerie Radio,” “Crossroads Paranormal,” “Binall of America” and “Haunted Voices.”
Larry has authored several published articles regarding science and the paranormal and is a regular columnist for The Paranormal Awareness Society Newsletter. Currently, he is the co-author (with Marie D. Jones) of the upcoming books “11:11 – The Time Prompt Phenomena: The Meaning Behind Mysterious Signs, Sequences and Synchronicities,” and “The Resonance Key: Exploring the Links Between Vibration, Consciousness and the Zero Point Grid” for New Page Books. He is also co-creator of ParaExplorers.com, devoted to the exploration of ancient and modern unknown mysteries, and is developing a line of related books and products.
In addition, Larry is co-creator of the popular new ParaTracker software program for documenting data from paranormal investigations. His own ARPAST online research database system, SOCIUS, is considered one of the most comprehensive in the field. His enthusiasm for education and training in the paranormal field has also garnered many requests for special events and seminars, including popular charity investigations at haunted locations across the South, lectures on paranormal awareness for the Breckenridge Movie Theatre chain, and Teen Technology Night at the Nixon Library.
Larry also currently works in information technology. He is married and lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.
WYSINWYG (What You See is Not What You Get)
By: Larry Flaxman
President, ARPAST
http://www.arpast.org
This month's topic comes hot on the heels of the highly anticipated
release of the newest Indiana Jones saga: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls." I
admit to being an Indy nerd, so, I've waited breathlessly since the last installment in
1989. I had high expectations. While I won't bore you with a review (you can find plenty
of those online), I will say that I think the film will get a lot of people talking due
to its fair share of "fringe" iconography such as the crystal skull, Roswell,
Area 51, etc.
Watching the movie actually gave me the idea for this month's column.
Have you wondered how often the popular media may distort the facts to fit their journalistic
agendas? A quick Google search for "media conspiracy theory" reveals slightly
over 3 million indexed pages! Three million! That is a lot of folks who believe that
the media is manipulating and controlling our knowledge and facts.
Without donning my tin-foil hat, I believe that yes, the media is
influencing our perceptions…but,
not in the way popularly imagined. Watching the explosion of "fringe" programming
on television, one will be assailed with a variety of topics which serve to ignite the
curiosity and interest of the viewers.
Oftentimes, people will believe what they see to be the truth…regardless of the facts.
The axiom of "unless I see it with my own eyes" comes to mind. Just because you
see something does not necessarily mean it is so. Things are not always what they seem.
In the spirit of the movies namesake, the crystal skull mystery is one such example. It
has been shown through careful scientific analysis that all of the crystal skulls (including
the highly vaunted Mitchell-Hedges skull) are fakes, and not even close to the stated 3,600
year old age.
According to skepdic.com:
"The age of the object, as well as the other claims made about its making and history,
were fabricated by Mitchell-Hughes. The man who owned the piece, Sidney Burney, and those
who were on the Lubannatun expedition, denied that Mitchell-Hedges found the skull. Mitchell-Hedges
himself never mentioned the skull until just after he bought it in 1943."
Due to the mystery surrounding the skull, as well as the family's insistence on its provenance, several cult-like factions have been formed. Again, according to skepdic.com: "The questionable origin of the Mitchell-Hedges skull has not deterred belief in the skull's mysterious properties. Rather, at least 13 other skulls have mysteriously appeared over the years. Some of these skulls are claimed to have magical origins and healing powers. However, a study of several crystal skulls by the British Museum in 1996 indicates that the only magic involved in the creation of these skulls was in keeping their fraudulent origin a secret. The study concluded that the skulls were made in Germany within the past 150 years. The recent origin explains how they were made with tools unavailable to the ancient Mayans or Aztecs. Using electron microscopes, the researchers found that two of the skulls possessed straight, perfectly-spaced surface markings, indicating the use of a modern polishing wheel. Genuine ancient objects would show haphazard tiny scratches from the hand-polishing process."
Ok, so, perhaps the most mysterious property of the crystal skulls is the manner in which they have captivated the interest and emotions of the public. The real question is how they have managed to maintain their mysterious aura and mythology even in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence. So, what does this have to do with the paranormal? Actually, quite a bit. It would be a fairly safe bet that many of my readers are fans of at least one paranormal-themed show on television. Heck, I am a huge fan of Ghost Hunters (and not just because ARPAST is a member of the TAPS Family!).
Have you ever stopped to critically think, and analyze what you see on the show? The facts…the investigation…the evidence. Or, since you "saw it with your own eyes" did you just immediately believe it? Modern special effects and CGI wizardry can produce some astoundingly believable things. Is it a coincidence that none of the popular shows bill themselves as documentaries?
The point of this whole diatribe is that things may not always be
as they appear. The media certainly can present one perspective; however, one needs
to remain cognizant of that fact. It is only one viewpoint…and it may not necessarily be correct, nor be the consensus.
Whether it is politically motivated, or based upon other factors (such as the fact that
sensationalism sells advertising), the media may certainly have their own "agenda." Your
critical analysis skills should take into account much more than simple visual assessment.
Oftentimes, what you see is not always what you get.
"Well, the word for 'gold' translates as 'treasure.' But their treasure wasn't gold, it was knowledge. Knowledge was their treasure." Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, 2008.
About the author:
Larry Flaxman is the founder and President of ARPAST – the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team, which is a member of the TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) family. He has been actively involved in paranormal research and investigation for over ten years, and melds his technical, scientific, and investigatory backgrounds together for no-nonsense, scientifically objective explanations regarding a variety of anomalous phenomena.
Larry has appeared in numerous newspaper, magazine, radio, and television
interviews, and has authored several published articles regarding science and the paranormal.
Larry is also co-authoring a series of books with Marie D. Jones, author of "PSIence" and "Supervolcano," starting
with "11:11- The Time Prompt Phenomenon: The Meaning Behind Mysterious Signs, Sequences
and Synchronicities," due for release in February 2009 by New Page Books.
In addition to involvement with ARPAST, he serves as technical advisor to several paranormal
research groups throughout the country.
Douglas M Carnahan
Founder/President
NorCal Paranormal Investigators, Inc.
Douglas
M. Carnahan is the founder and president of the San Francisco Bay Area based NorCal
Paranormal Investigators, Inc. (NPI for short) . A life long
resident of the Bay Area, Doug grew up in the town of Livermore, California 40 miles east
of San Francisco. “Growing up in the small town of Livermore, California in the 60’s -
70’s was a wonderful experience. It was an explorers dream with the endless hills, hidden
lakes and abandoned mines. Every town has its mysteries and legends and my hometown was
no different. It peaked an interest in me then, that still grows today.” Along with running
and over seeing NPI, Doug also hosts a weekly radio show "NorCal Ghost Talk" with co-host
and cofounder of NPI, Shane 'The Wingman' Thornton on BlogTalkRadio Sundays at 6-7:30 pm
pst.
Since the early 80's when Doug was physically touch and attacked numerous times in his
home over a 5-month period, he has been actively seeking answers to the questions no one
could answer. "When I was attacked in my own home by an unknown and unseen spirit or entity
I wanted to know what was going on and why. It didn't take very long for me to find out
I had to get the answers myself." At that moment a paranormal investigator was born.
Today, NorCal Paranormal Investigators,
Inc. is comprised of a very close-knit team of
paranormal investigators. Each one bringing their own special insight into the group forming
a unique combination of old style common sense, science and psychic abilities. Not your
typical Ghost Hunters. Doug said, "We understand the fears and concerns that people have,
as we have also experienced what they are going through. We're here to help people understand
what they are experiencing and conquer their fears." If
you feel you may be a victim from a troubled or restless ghost, spirit or entity and would
like our help, please take a moment check out our web-site and contact NPI direct for an
interview and on-site investigation.
Contacts:
Website: www.norcalghosthunters.com
Email: norcalghosthunters@yahoo.com
Phone: 510-592-1639
MySpace: myspace.com/norcalparanormal
www.BlogTalkRadio.com"NorCal Ghost Talk"
1. Where do you see ghost hunting and paranormal groups like your own in 10 years?
I wish I had a crystal ball to look into for that answer. Right now we are seeing a lot
of interest in the paranormal field from all walks of life. Seems like “meet up” groups
are popping up all over the place with memberships of 100 people or more. When we decided
to start NPI we wanted to do it a little different. We’re more like an Army Special
Forces team, keeping our group to a much smaller, professional and mobile unit. In the
next 10 years I see the interest still growing as we’ll have a whole new generation
coming up seeing that it’s no longer taboo to talk about and share their paranormal
experiences with others.
2. What would you personally consider to be the definitive proof that ghosts are real?
Personally I can say without a doubt, we share our world with ghost and spirits. I would have
to say that a combination of good and definitive evidence would prove the existence of ghost
and spirits. Photos, digital videos, digital voice recorders - with all the equipment investigators
have at their disposal nowadays we are coming up with some amazing information and have evidence
to share with everyone.
3. What is the most real evidence you personally have uncovered so far?
I have been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time quite often. I have
a great photo of myself and the family dog that was taken in my home. I brought it out
to have the NPI team take a look at it as there were several possible orbs in the photo
and I wanted to get the teams opinion. When I handed the photo to Shane Thornton my co-founder
of the group he said, “The orbs are cool, but that skull head is really wild” Right there for
all to see is an apparition of what appears to be a human skull to my left. I was so busy looking
at the orbs that I didn’t even see the real prize; documentation of a spirit. I have
a digital video of what I call the “hairy” apparition, caught on board the USS
Hornet down in the ships hospital area. One my favorite bits of evidence was filmed in a hotel
room at the Brookdale Lodge in California. I call it my hide and seek orbs. Before heading
off to dinner for a few hours I decided to set up one of my HI8 digital video cameras equipped
with infrared. What I found days later when checking the film still amaze me today. In the
dark and with no possibility of any outside light source. There are 2-3 orbs chasing after
each other like children playing tag, they disappear behind a backpack left on the floor. Seconds
later they’d peek back out from behind the backpack then went back behind again. This
took place a few times and then they just disappeared. I’ve also been very lucky
with EVPs and have recorded many amazing voices from unseen sources.
4. Are you skeptical of the claims other make of their findings?
I think any true paranormal investigator has to be somewhat skeptical to a degree. It’s
in our nature to question and seek the answers to those questions. I have a passion to
unearth the unknown. So yes, when people make claims of findings and have nothing to back
up their claims I have no choice but to question them.
5. If you could investigate your "Dream Haunted Hot Spot" where
would it be?
Wow, so many amazing haunted hot spots in the world to choose from, but if I could only
pick one I will have to pick the Whaley House located in San Diego, California. The Whaley
House was built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley on land that was partially once a cemetery. The
two-story brick building is possibly the most haunted and active building in America. That
would be my dream spot and I’m also a firm believer that dreams can come true.
6. What was your first paranormal encounter?
My first personal paranormal encounter happened in the early 80’s in an apartment I was
renting in Fremont, California. I had been living there for about 5 months. One evening as
I was going from the living room to the dining area I suddenly felt all the hair on my arms
and back of my neck stand up. Moments later, I felt as if I was being punched and pushed back
into the living room area by an unseen force. I tried to move forward again and was pushed
back another time. I spoke out to this unknown force and told it to leave and to allow me pass.
My third try to pass was successful, but that was not the end. Over the next four-five months
the same type of physical pushing and punching paranormal activities happened at least two-three
times a week. Each time I would try to force my way forward and verbally combat the unseen
force. Then as quick as it came, it left and didn’t return for the remainder of the
time I was there. That opened a new door for me into the world of paranormal investigation.
I had lots of questions and no one had any answers for me, so I set out to find my own.
7. What scares you about Ghost Hunting or Paranormal Investigations?
Personally, I’m not scared of ghosts or spirits, but I have been startled and surprised
more times than I can count. Now if we’re talking about butting heads with a demonic
entity that can be a bit on the scary side of the street. Getting calls or emails that
children are being hurt or tormented is also scary to me, but that quickly turns into anger
and our NPI special forces team is out the door and ready to address the issues.
8. If you could work side by side with one of the Paranormal Investigator greats, who would
it be?
I would have to say Mark Nesbitt is on the top of my list of Paranormal Investigators I would
enjoy working with. He has been active in the field for over 30 years. I would like to pick
his brain to gain some of his knowledge. Troy Taylor is also right there on top of my list
of paranormal investigators I would like to work with.
9. Read any good Paranormal Books lately?
I try to read up and stay current on the world of the unknown. Mostly I’ve been burning
the midnight oil with more reference like books than anything. The Ghost Hunters Bible & The
Complete Idiot’s Guide To Ghosts And Hauntings. They give me that edge I need to
be on top of things.
10. What Question do people ask you most when you tell them
you’re a paranormal
investigator?
I’m asked mostly if I’ve seen any ghost and I love to smile back at
them and say, “Yes“, many times in fact. I also get the question, how
did you get started doing that? I give then the quick version about the encounter
in my apartment many years back.
11. In your opinion, Where is the most Haunted city in America?
That’s a tough question to answer. I would think New York, NY might be high
on the list and of course New Orleans, LA
12. Do you feel more people should get involved with Ghost hunting or Paranormal
Investigation?
Yes I do, but when you ask me if more people should get involved with Ghost Hunting
or Paranormal Investigation, to me we are talking apples and oranges. To me Ghost
Hunting is a group of friends getting together for a fun ghost tour in cities all
over the country or a Saturday night in the local graveyard seeing which one gets
scared first. Paranormal Investigation is a whole different ball game. Investigators
are looking for answers to the great mystery of what happens when your soul leaves
your physical body and to gather proof and evidence that ghost, spirits, entities
do exist among the world we share.
13. What does the future hold for you?
A whole lot more investigations. Our mission at NorCal Paranormal Investigators
Inc. is to protect, investigate, explore, document, educate, understand and help
others who believe they are experiencing a haunting. We also believe it's our obligation
to assist those in the afterlife who need our help to move on. "We're here
to help" people understand what they are experiencing and conquer their fears.
There’s been interest in NPI doing convention appearances and speaking. NPI’s
Co-Founder Shane Thornton and myself also have a weekly radio show at www.blogtalkradio.com Sundays
6pm-7pm pst called “NorCal Ghost Talk” We open our lines for people
to call and talk about Ghost, Spirits & Hauntings... There is a local TV station
that’s interested in doing something with NPI in the future. Whatever the
future brings I’m going to do my best to make it a positive experience.
14. Paranormal Conventions do you see them growing? And which ones are the Must
go to ones?
Yes, I see that more and more people are opening up and sharing their stories and
experiences. The Paranormal Conventions are great for networking and getting new
and exciting information. Must goes is a tough question, but the one in Virginia
City, Nevada does come to mind as being very good. Also the Convention on the Queen
Mary docked in California looks like a winner too.
15. What is your most favored tool of the trade?
My brain… a paranormal investigator needs to be able to think and reason
very quickly when things are happening around them. I always have a digital voice
recorder handy and a Hi8 digital video recorder with infrared at the ready.
16. Tell us about your best moment in investigating ghost for you?
One of the first and best moments was when I was being physically touched and pushed
by a spirit or entity that was haunting an apartment I was living in at the time
back in the early 80‘s. This physical combating went on for months until
it just stopped for no reason at all. The encounter opened up my mind to more questions
than others had answers. My life and the way I look at it now forever changed and
the paranormal investigator in me was born.
17. What is the hardest part about being a paranormal Radio talk show host?
Having a radio show and being host is a blast… Shane Thornton, NPI’s
co-founder and I have a one hour show on BlogTalkRadio.com called “NorCal
Ghost Talk” Sundays 6pm-7:30pm pst. Lets Ghost Talk... Unearthing the Unknown...
The hardest part about the show is Shane and I agreeing what we should talk about
that week. A wonderful thing about us is we at times agree to disagree and that
can make for some interesting time on the air. Since BlogTalkRadio is over the
internet we are not just heard local but worldwide. We love to have people call
the show at (718) 508-9724 or instant message questions via yahoo IM at norcalghosthunters.
We have interesting guests join us at times as well. Come check us out.
18. How do you document your investigations?
We use many different types of equipment to document our investigations. Hi8 Digital
Video Recorders with night vision and infrared illuminators, digital voice recorders
for EVP’s, DVR recorder & monitor with infrared cameras and digital cameras.
Our investigators also use EMF meters, digital thermometers and motion detectors
during our investigations.
19. Have you ever taken a ghost Tour?
Yes, but it was not a planned tour. A small group of us NorCal Paranormal Investigators
took a day trip to the USS Hornet docked in Alameda, California. We wanted to check
it out and get a feel of the ship in the hopes of having a chance of investigating
it one day. We were fortunate to run into James, one of the resident renovators
living on board and received a private tour of the great ship. We came back with
some wild EVPs and captured what I call a hairy apparition on video in the hospital
bay of the ship. Check out NPI’s web site at www.norcalghosthunters.com and
follow the links to the USS Hornet.
20. What in the field of ghost hunting and Paranormal Investigating needs the most
attention?
I think all paranormal investigation groups need to have a code of standards and
conduct. To be honest with themselves and their clients about their findings and
have the common sense to not jump to conclusions every time there is a speck of
dust on a photo and announce to the world that they have proof of life after death.
Until we form and elect a world council on paranormal activity, we need to be more
accountable for our fellow investigators and ourselves.