Sue St.Clair and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog

I have had several readings by different psychics over the years. Always in-person and never have had to pay for one. Because of the hobby I tend to bump in to different psychics and sensitives, and it has always been something that has been offered to me without my asking.

One sticks out in my mind that was done with tarot cards. The predictions and information were very specific and tangible. This person knew nothing about me or my circumstances at the time and they were 100% accurate. This was when Matthew and I first got together and he would tell you that I was completely blown away with the information given to me!

Again there was nothing vague ... completely specific, to the point of names!

This person is a member of the Spiritualist Church, but they do not work full-time as a psychic .... they work for the L.C.B.O.

I have also been told that I am the reincarnation of Elizabeth I ( now, I do have an immense love for her, and have studied Tudor history extensively) BUT! .... the person who told me this claims to be the reincarnation of Nostradamus (!) .... make of that what you will ... hehehehe ......

Why is it that no one is ever told they were a peasant rucking the muck?!

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly ....

Ok, so how do you find a good psychic? Such an easy question really, isn't it? How hard can it be? You look up the word in the phone book, pick a name, pay your money and he/she will tell you things that will change your life; where you will find the perfect relationship , how to live a healthy life until you're 150 and of course, how much you will win on the lottery ticket that has your name on it. Sounds right, doesn't it? If only!

How and where do you even start looking? I started on the net (not a great idea), worked my way up to email and phone contacts and then did personal interviews of at least a dozen psychics and asked them to supply me with their own opinions.

What I got was a mixed bag but for the big things they were all unanimous.

Where to find one.

One good place to start is the psychic fairs. There are many different psychics there and the point is not to get overwhelmed by it all. Walk through the whole area first, get a feeling as to what/who is there and then see if anyone stands out and I don't mean has the biggest banner or the most colourful outfit. Trust your intuition and if you feel more attracted to one than the others then go for it. The good thing is that at these fairs you can get a mini reading for much less then a full reading and if you are not sure you have chosen the right person you have the opportunity to try someone else and not break the bank. You can also talk to them before signing up to see if you are comfortable with them. This is very important as you might be discussing personal things with them. All the psychics I talked to were very willing to do this. They also suggested not to go with one just because your friend did but to walk around and pick one for yourself. This is your opportunity. In the Toronto area there are two very large fairs ; one in the spring and one in the fall and many, many little ones.

If you do not have the opportunity to visit these fairs then word of mouth or recommendations from friends that you trust are the next best thing. Will they always work out? No, but at least you will know something about the person before going and not have to "cold call" so to speak.

When you are getting the reading what should you be looking for .

Well first of all what kind information are you looking for?

A medium is someone how can connect with people who have passed over.

A tarot reader is someone who has learned and studies the cards that you will be asked to choose yourself.

A clairvoyant has intuitive knowledge (seeing). A clairaudio (hearing). A clairsentient, sometimes called "empathic",(feeling). Clairessence (smell).

Channelers allow others to speak through them.

Psychics can be one or several or all of the above.

Know how the person you are going to see gets their information so that you may gear it towards the information you are hoping to pertain.

I was told several times that a psychic should not direct but guide you. They should provide good insights and information. They should help by taking your confusion (if there is any)and giving you a clearer perspective so that you can make the right choices. You always have free will and no matter what they tell you, you always have the choice to change things. I was once told that the reading is what is happening right now at this moment, but if you walk out the door and decide to change your ways/thoughts/ideas, etc. then it is a whole new ball game. Free will…..it is very important to remember that. Nothing is written in stone.

I believe that no psychic is 100% accurate so when getting a reading take what feels right for you and leave the rest. Most will give you a taped recording of the session so you can replay it a few weeks or months later and can judge for yourself what, if anything, has come to pass and how accurate they were. Don't expect perfection but most I have seen are quite good and there is usually a connection with them within the first five minutes. If they are talking in generalizations ask for more specifics. You did not pay for general information. Don't be afraid to ask questions but at the same time do not keep interrupting. It is best to leave your questions until the end. Speaking of questions, you should come prepared and have these written down. Write down all of your questions and then some because there is nothing more annoying then having 15 minutes left and you cannot think of anything else to ask so be prepared and list more questions then you think can be answered in the time period but list your most important questions first so that they will be addressed first.

Now for the "red flags". For pete's sake people take your common sense with you. If someone asks for money to remove a curse….run, don't walk away. I was told by a very good psychic that no one should ask for any other money except the price of the reading. PERIOD. Don't buy into the "someone is doing evil against you" bit and "it will only cost you another $50.00/$500.00/$5,000.00 to remove it". If this happens at a psychic fair please do report this to the organizer. It is not only unethical but illegal. These same people can ask you not to tell anyone about the reading. This is unfortunate as they will prey on the elderly and people who may be in a very vulnerable state. These are the ones that give all other psychics a bad rep.

No good psychic will use scare tactics or intimidation in their readings.

Don't pay for your "special lottery numbers" that will win you the big one.

Don't pay mucho dinero for a "blessed candle" to exorcize evil spirits.

Remember that saying…"Keep an open mind but don't let your brain fall out."

I want to thank all of the psychics who sent me great email and all those I spoke to on the phone. A special thanks to the psychics at the fair who gave so generously of their time, knowledge and wisdom even when the tape recorder was turned off. And I also want to give a big thank you to the last one I tried to interview and when asked politely for any comments said…"I don't do anything unless I get paid". Definitely brought me back to reality. Thank you so very much.

There you have it….the good, the bad and the ugly.

The above tips and suggestions were compiled and written by our dear friend Tere Altuna. Tere is a tireless investigator/reseacher for PSICAN, Ontario Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society, & ParaResearchers Of Ontario.

'U.F.O' as most would already know is an acronym for the term 'Unidentified Flying Object', therefore by proper definition everyone has seen a UFO, unless of course they wish to make the claim that they can positively identify everything they’ve seen within our skies at any given time.

My father used to play a game with us when we were children in which he would point out low-flying aircraft etc and ask us if we could identify it. He would tease us that if we could not positively ID exactly what the object was it must be a UFO! A fond childhood memory that illustrates the point I've made above.

We have now established the positive existence of UFOs by proper definition and we can take a look at some of the hypotheses put forth in an effort to explain what it is that millions of people have reported and continue to report seeing.

There are many hypotheses that are used in an attempt to explain UFOs, however, due in large part to pop culture, the acronym is considered by the majority to denote spacecraft that is piloted by intelligent extraterrestrials. This is known as the extraterrestrial hypothesis and it may or may not ultimately prove to be correct in some cases. The pros and cons of the ETH will not be discussed within this article, however it is important to make a clear distinction between the acronym and this possible explanation.

Psychic or paranormal events similar to the mechanisms speculated on as to the ability to view apparitions etc are perhaps far less commonly heard, but certainly cannot be entirely ruled out dependant on an individual report. This is one reason why P.R.O feels comfortable including this particular topic on a paranormal oriented website.

The sighting of exotic or newly developed aircraft is another hypothesis that could potentially explain some of the reported cases of UFOs. This scenario is certainly more acceptable in terms of reasoning and comfort level to those who are critical of the ETH or other viewpoints of a supernatural nature. The Stealth bomber for instance has been used by some as a possible explanation for reported triangular shaped objects.

Skeptics and debunkers alike will tend to lean heavily on the misidentification of natural phenomena as the obvious explanation for UFO reports. With some reports this is certainly the case and with others evidence can lead one to speculate the greater probability of a UFO in fact being mundane in origin.

Hoaxes have and in all likelihood will continue to be uncovered and must be included when taking a look at this topic. However, decades worth of observational and in some cases physical data collection indicate that this cannot be used as a cover-all explanation alone or inconjunction with misidentifications and possible hallucinations.

Where do these various hypotheses leave us in regards to the UFO enigma? The truth is that any, all, or in fact none of the above are potentially correct when in consideration of individual UFO accounts.

Studies have been carried out world over including the infamous 'Project Bluebook' and depending on the source differing percentages are given as to actual numbers of genuine UFOs being reported. The range is anywhere from 0% and upwards and is occasionally based on preconceived notions as to their true nature. None of these studies for obvious reasons can be considered completely accurate. However, if we take the time to make a study of the large volume of credible evidence put forth in regards to anomalous UFO activity presented thus far, we are left with those that seemingly defy the hoax, hallucination, or misidentification hypotheses.

Currently there are small pockets of scientists around the globe whose work is showing that in some cases this phenomena is measurable albeit the data collected and interpreted is still enigmatic in nature at this time.

So the answer to the title question is this; UFO's by proper definition do exist and depending on each individual case, may or may not be readily explainable. Beyond that, all speculation and beliefs no matter how seemingly outrageous are potentially correct.

What Should I Do If I See One?

1.) Remain calm.

2.) If possible alert any nearby people to what you are witnessing.

3.) Note as many details as possible. Example, date/time, duration, location, weather conditions, distance, altitude, appearance, including: shape, colour, size, trajectory, along with anything else that you feel may be relevant to your sighting. Write these down as soon as possible afterwards.

4.) If you happen to have a camera or video recorder with you, attempt to photograph or film the UFO with another object in the frame to be used as a point of reference. Example, a tree

5.) Consider reporting your sighting as soon as possible afterwards. You can do so through Para-Researchers Of Ontario by clicking here or another PSICAN group or investigator. Confidentiality and privacy are assured - please see our privacy policy. If the sighting occurred outside of Ontario please do contact us and we will endeavour to put you in touch with someone in closer proximity to your location.

6.) Do not feel alone - you are not. And please do not allow fear of potential ridicule to prevent you from reporting what you have witnessed. The information you are able to provide is important to us and will remain confidential.

Posted by Matthew James Didier

"Since 'skepticism' properly refers to doubt rather than denial - nonbelief rather than belief - critics who take the negative rather than an agnostic position but still call themselves 'skeptics' are actually pseudo-skeptics and have, I believed, gained a false advantage by usurping that label."

...so sayeth the late Marcello Truzzi.

Truzzi was one of the founding members of the auto-debunking group, CSICOP (now CSICOP/CFI with a more secular-humanist agenda,) who left the group he helped form when he realised that they were nothing more than out-and-out non-believing deniers rather than neutral sceptics looking for answers and data.

That says something when one of your founders leaves your organisation because he believes you're not what you say you are.

Quick Side Note: Many people falsely say that the late Carl Sagan coined the term, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." which is not so... Truzzi said it first... and then regreted it. In hindsight, he wished he'd said "All claims require evidence." which would include claims of non-possibilties as well as those that claim possibility.

True scepticism (or the American spelling, skepticism,) is vital. It allows us to look at things critically and make judgements based solely on hard evidence and fact rather than speculative faith or our own "wishes" as to what things should be.

Most people say things like, "I don't believe in that 'cuz I'm a sceptic!"

No you're not... you're a non-believer. A sceptic doubts. You're already in denial mode.

As an example I use with folks I know... If I walk up to you on the street with a can of soda and say, "This is the BEST drink in the whole world!", and you say, "I don't know... I'm sceptical about that...", you are NOT saying...

"That can of soda does not exist. It cannot exist. You are not drinking that can of soda because that claim is outrageous."

...no, you're usually saying...

"Maybe. I'm not sure about that claim. I need better evidence."

...yet, somehow in the lexicon of the paranormal, "scepticism" is equal to "non-belief".

I get VERY upset when I hear twits in the "paranormal community" denouncing "the sceptics"... they're NOT sceptics. You're denouncing those who make you work to do better work, not the one's you REALLY have issue with... the "non-believers".

Sue and I are fortunate to count among our acquaintances both Eric McMillan and David Gower of Skeptics[sic] Canada.

Most people think this is being friends with the enemy... but for the record, both Eric and David don't really feel too great about the "so-called sceptics".

They, themselves, have coined the PERFECT terms for them... way better than anything I've heard... "Autodebunker" and "Remotedebunker".

You see, another "dirty word" in the lexicon of the so-called "paranormal community" is debunk.

As Eric pointed out to me, isn't debunking a GOOD thing? To remove to "bunk" and leave the facts? Shouldn't we ALL strive to remove the bunk and leave only that which HELPS the study?

In fact, don't the BEST of the BEST paranormal investigators strive to "debunk" in their own time when it comes to shoddy work?

BUT...

To debunk on baseless "faith" (or non-faith) or to simply decry something out of hand OR, and this one we've all seen far too much, to deny/decry something based on the skimpiest of hypothesis... that's bad.

"They aren't because they cannot be." is as bad as "They are therefore they exist!" without evidence to back up these statements.

Too many people from the "Autodebunking" and the "Overly Credulous/Too-True-Believer" camps simply rest on their faith and preach to the masses about their own spectacular stuff... while ignoring the inconvenient facts that might put holes in their arguments.

They seem to fear having to examine their own philosophies and viewpoints and, God forbid, change their minds, admit fault, and admit that they might have been wrong.

So, they ignore the evidence, ignore the data, and preach.

Now, this post is NOT about the "too-true believers"... that's for another day... it's about "sceptics"... or, in more proper terms, "remotedebunkers". Those that say ("with" or without validity) it's all nonsense.

How do "we" put a kink in these people's rope...?

Well, to use Truzzi's thoughts, REMOVE that unfair advantage. Do not allow them to call themselves "sceptics". FORCE them to call themselves what they are... NON-BELIEVERS and AUTO-DEBUNKERS.

...and those so-called sceptics that "back up their non-belief with facts"? ASK THEM QUESTIONS! How long have THEY been in the field? How much study did they do to come up with this? What sources can they rely on?

...and I want specifics.

Don't let these people call themselves a "warm and fuzzy name" that MAKES themselves seem open for discussion and a possible change in stance, MAKE THEM ADMIT WHAT THEY ARE.

There's no shame in not believing... there's no REAL stigma... but let's face it, if they can get off calling us "Woo-Woos" and terming themselves "sceptical", there's a mismatch here.

Can they PROPERLY debunk every case of paranormality? No. They can't.

...and don't EVEN get me started on the whole "You can't prove a negative" issue... YES YOU CAN... Ask a REAL scientist... or answer this question, what's ten minus thirteen? I believe math is a science, correct...? or does the question I just posed not exist and cannot exist? While we're here, what's a vacuum? I guess they don't exist either...

Oh, oh, oh... speaking of which, the "so-called sceptics" often invoke science... CSICOP/CFI uses the term "Scientific Model"... why "Scientific Model" instead of "Scientific Method"? Because the "Scientific Method", as I hope we all know, allows for something called a HYPOTHESIS and the potential for possible alternative outcomes to what one might hope will be the desired conclusion.

When you're auto-debunking, you cannot have room for error and "hypothesis" can sometimes be correct... or incorrect... and therefore, in the non-neutral "science" of the so-called sceptics, you cannot use this method. You must start with a conclusion and do whatever it takes and present whatever you can (while ignoring the inconvenient facts) to show this conclusion to be correct!

That's GREAT science, isn't it?

I'm certainly glad REAL medical science doesn't work this way...

...nor REAL physics...

...lest we be applying our leeches to prevent bird flu while watching the Sun revolve around the Earth.

GOOD and WORTHY investigators/researchers and yes, scientists MUST be open to all possibilities... positive or negative... and never pass absolute judgement without absolute evidence and fact in presentable data to prove their statements.

Not so with the "so-called sceptics"...

To quote Stan Freidman, "Why investigate? CSICOP has proclaimed!"

SO PLEASE, take some time... don't let the "autodebunkers" or "remotedebunkers" use a term that does NOT apply to themselves... Call 'em like you see 'em.

If you don't believe, you're a non-believer. Please call yourself the appropriate name.

My name is Matthew... and I am a PROUD sceptic. I want better information... and will not run on blind faith... but I most certainly will NEVER deny things out of hand.

While I've got you here... I'd like to shatter another DUMB, DUMB, DUMB thing the "so-called sceptics" use to battle ghosts and hauntings...

If a ghost is the spirit of a dead person, why do they wear clothes? I mean, do the clothes have a soul??? HAHAHAHA! SEE!?! I've proven all ghosts to be bunk! HAHAHAHAHA!

No... not at all... but let me return the question...

Why DO witnesses see ghosts as clothed? I mean, millions and millions of people see them... and we DO know that not all are crazy or hallucinating... multiple witness sightings prove that... so why are they dressed?

Are ghosts "projecting" themselves as they feel they should be seen?

Perhaps they get to choose?

Is it something else???

Perhaps the witness "dresses" them in their mind so as to be more "suitable" for viewing?

The latter one doesn't hold water as we have many good witness accounts where a style of clothing was described that the witness did not know was appropriate to what has been reported... and yet...

So, it's one of the top three most likely...

So, as opposed to proving anything other than you're a mark for Penn and Teller, you've simply started new questions... and valid ones at that!

I've often asked... if a ghost haunts in the forest, and there's no witnesses to experience it... does it still haunt?

Just a short posting today ...... Catch us later tonight on Strange Days ..... Indeed with our host Errol Bruce Knapp!

'Strange Days... Indeed' reflects:
The UFO-related experiences of many tens of thousands of normal, creditable people who can no longer be dismissed as 'loonies'

The tireless work of un-sung researchers and investigators around the world.

The determined, deafening silence of governments around the planet to UFO phenomena.

http://www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/sdi/program/

Saturday May 27th 9pm EST ... CRFB 1010am in the Southern Ontario area

Listen Live: http://www.cfrb.com/

If you are unable to tune in - past shows are archived at the above link.

Do you have a real life ghost story, an encounter with a UFO, or other paranormal experience/s you'd like to share? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Post your own experiences in our comments section. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

See ya Sunday .....

Starting this Friday I will begin posting stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are my personal favourites. These will include Crypto, Ghosts, UFO's and other strange events that may be considered Fortean from in around the Toronto, Canada area .... and since they are from my own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

Today's entry ....... Wandering Ghost Of Swansea!

Often we are asked if ghosts or spirits are confined to one location. The following account suggests that this may not be the case.

"Hi my name is (deleted for the privacy of the witness) and I live in the Swansea/Bloor West Village Area. I live on a street called Lavinia Avenue. At the end of Lavinia Avenue there is the Swansea Town Hall and the Fire Station at the corner of Lavinia Avenue and DeForest Avenue. For years I've walked down Lavinia and DeForest without any incident. But last summer (2003) I was walking up DeForest and I was waiting to cross the street. I suddenly felt someone put there hand on my head and gently rub my hair. I turned around and no one was there. This past January(2004) I was walking down Lavinia Avenue...it was 6 am and dark. When I walked by the Town Hall....I felt as if someone was watching me....or I just sensed I wasn't alone. Then this past April 2004...I was walking home down DeForest and passing the Fire Station. All of sudden I was shoved forward....I felt a hand on my back and I was pushed.......when I turned around no one was there....and there wasn't anywhere anyone could've hid....I would've seen them running up the street. The last incident came in July 2004, when I was walking right between the Town Hall and the Fire Station and as I walked I felt cold....like there was a chill in the air.......but only at that spot. It was a very hot and humid day.......so I assumed I wasn't alone!!

Just this past August (2004).....they found a skull under the Swansea Town Hall, where they are doing construction and deemed it human.... Since then.... I haven't felt anything around there."

Our thanks goes out to the witness for sharing the above report. We were able to verify that a skull was indeed found through the Swansea Town Hall and a community newspaper called "The Villager."

We held onto this report in our offline files until another unrelated potential witness came forward.

I received another report on April 25th 2005 that is eerily similar to the above. The witness wrote to us that they had a very odd experience at DeForest and Windmere. They were walking north on the west side of Windmere. They describe a sudden sensation of being tugged by the cheek and pulled onto Deforest. They insisted that they had no reason to walk along Deforest other then the weird physical sensation. It stopped in front of a particular house. The witness has no idea why and does not know the occupants of the house. It was the first time anything like this had happened to them and they were not aware of the first report to us.

All of the above experiences occurred within a block of each other and outside leading myself to believe that there may indeed be a "ghost" wandering some of the residential streets of Swansea.

Update February 2006 - From one of our gentle readers:

I have read about the 2 experiences around the Swansea area and wanted to write. I walk up Windemere to Bloor West Village very regularly for my coffee and I am drawn to the area of the hall. I however did not know the street name.

It seems no matter which way I decide to walk back home I always end up at the corner of Deforest and Lavinia (I did not know the street names until today). Today on my walk to the Village, I purposefully walked to that corner to see what was up.

My family has sensitivity to spirits. I never see or hear them, only feel them emotionally. My sister is able to "see dead people" and hear them and all that jazz. I get jealous so I keep trying to see them.

Anyway, I walked by today and something strange happened. As I reached a house on Deforest my left hand went all tingly and became numb and stayed that way as I walked around the east side of the house.

As soon as I crossed the street to the fire hall, it stopped tingling. I went to the town hall, nothing. I went back to the house - more numbness. I crossed Deforest, nothing. Only in front of the one house.

I decided that was interesting (my hand had never gone tingly and numb before) and headed back toward Windemere. I was almost in front of the house when I heard a noise as if someone had hit or kicked the car that was parked on the street a few steps behind me.

I turned around and felt an emotion (which is what I usually feel - emotions, not physical sensations like the numbness). I felt like an adolescent and the expression of frustration like when kids click their tongue and roll their eye. I think he was thinking "come on, lady. Geez". Which made me think he had been trying to bring me into the house by my hand.

And then it stopped. I went for my coffee.

Our thanks to the witness for sharing this experience with us!"

I am actively collecting reports from Swansea, Bloor West Village, Roncesvalles Village and The Junction. You may contact me at sue@psican.org

Do you have a real life ghost story, an encounter with a UFO, or other paranormal experience/s you'd like to share? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Post your own experiences in our comments section. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

Alien Orbs! N'yeah ... just salt and pepper shaken in front of the camera. Taken by my friend Dr "Chuckie" aka Dr Charles Lietzau at a convention and I thought it was too cute ...

It's interesting the amount of people who get upset when we point out how easy it is duplicate these types of photos by natural means. However, there are a few folks who actually end up experimenting with their cameras, and having a ton of fun to boot with it! Such as the pic taken above by the good doctor .... who selflessly is attempting to bring humour and science to the state of UFOlogy!

Cheers!

Today I received the following report, which I thought I would share with you (all personal/identifying information have been removed).

I do believe that certain items may hold an emotional or psychical imprint from their past .... with that said, every time I stumble across a "haunted" auction on EBAY the old line "there is a sucker born every minute" does come to mind .......

"I'm an avid antique clothing collector, and I went a vintage and antique clothing show. After perusing the racks, I was astonished to find an intact and very rare black mourning bodice that, based on the sleeve design, dated to the late 1830s. I had never seen such an old piece for sale at a show, and so with some disbelief, I paid the measly $80 the vendor was asking, and took the beauty home.

Closer examination of the piece revealed that it was wool, with one whalebone stay and very minimal jet bead decoration, denoting a mourning bodice that would have been worn quite early on during the typical year-long mourning period. It was winter weight, and lined in flannel. Apart from a ripped collar, it was in very good condition. I laid it out on my guest bed in the basement, and put in a load of laundry. I went upstairs to read the paper, and after about 15 minutes, heard the washing machine stop. I thought that the load had become unbalanced, but when I went downstairs, I saw that the lid of the washing machine was raised. This was odd to me, because the machine won't start if the lid is up, and I had definitely heard it going for at least 15 minutes...

A few days later, I realized that I had lost one of my mittens. I searched high and low for it at home and at work, but to no avail. I had resigned myself to the fact I would have a perpetually cold left hand, when about one week after it went missing, I found it in the garbage pail in front of the washing machine in the basement. I could not fathom how it had ended up there... Given the timing of these events, I wondered if the bodice was haunted, and if the lady in question had an interest in modern appliances... and mittens? I have many friends who also collect vintage and antique clothing, and while we are all imbued with a certain sense of romanticism, I wouldn't say we're too prone to fits of fantasy. That being said, almost every single one of them has a story about a "haunted" piece of clothing, the idea being that these items have, by their very nature, been exposed to strong emotional events (births, deaths...), and that some of this emotional energy gets trapped in the fabric... An interesting theory if nothing else!"

Thanks so much to the witness for sharing her experience with us ......

Okay ... I admit to being disturbed by this one ... but then who wouldn't be .... if there is one place on Earth we wish to be left alone it's got to be the loo!

GHOST-hunter Darren Johnson-Smith makes no bones about it: the paranormal tale of the Low Valley apparition that scared the life out of a Barnsley pub landlord is one of the best he's ever heard.

Paranormal investigator Darren went to the Low Valley Arms in Wombwell when he heard that landlord Roger Froggatt had confronted a ghostly woman in white with half her face missing - and police backed up his story.

Roger, aged 49, said he felt fear like never before, as he was hunting for what he feared was a burglar in the early hours.
He came face-to-face with a grotesquely disfigured woman dressed in white.

Roger was speechless with shock and his wife Kathryn called the police, believing he had confronted an intruder.
Officers found no signs of entry, although the alarms had been tripped and all the TVs had been turned on.

Officers were left shaken and baffled by a toilet in the ladies, repeatedly flushing by itself.

Darren, who runs Steel City Ghost Tours, said: "Usually I wouldn't be interested. There are a lot of pubs that have their own ghosts. But the flushing of the toilets witnessed by two police officers makes it.
"I know Roger saw something and the police back up his story. This is not made up.

"It is one of the first times I have known an apparition do something physical. This is not some half-asleep person who has had a dream. It's one of the best, if not the best, paranormal incidents I have heard of.
"With the building being refurbished the owners have been through a stressful period. The spirit has picked up on it and followed the track of it and manifested itself in the toilet."

Darren spent yesterday performing a meditation in the toilet and came up with a name for the lady: Mary Quantrill.

He claimed she was an early 19th century traveller, murdered by a man with a hoe, on or near the site of the pub.

Kathryn said a police officer asked; 'Is your toilet supposed to flush itself on its own?'

The handle was going up and down of its own accord, and the bowl filling and overflowing. Officers could not find an explanation. It went on until 5am.

Kathryn said: "The police wanted to call an ambulance for Roger because he was in deep shock. They said they'd never seen anyone so scared.
"But they looked a bit shaken themselves after we witnessed the toilet flushing itself. I even lifted the lid on the cistern but there was nothing to see. I didn't feel too scared because I was with two police officers."

It is the culmination of a string of spooky incidents in their year in the pub. Barrels have been heard moving in the cellar, bottles have smashed, the fridge defrosted while switched on and the gas pressure has inexplicably failed several times. There are regular cold spots, mostly in the toilets.

Roger, a former steel erector, had been sceptical about ghosts until he faced with one.

Wringing his hands, he said: "I'm a level-headed man and nothing like this has ever happened to me before. This was the single most terrifying experience of my life."

A police spokesman said: "Officers saw the toilet flushing but could not explain it."

Today is Queen Victoria's Birthday in Canada and many of our fellow Canadians are celebrating ... we however are in mourning today ...

Carlito .. our pretty little sheltie cavy has passed on after a brief illness.

Some of you may question the weeping of a near 40 year old for the loss of her guinea pig ... but for those that have lost a dog, cat, guinea pig or any other cherished pet ... you understand ...

A few years ago I wrote the following article for the Pararesearcher's website. Since it was published I have received a handful of messages from people who lost a pet and were comforted by it and the message that our furry friends too go on ....

Today I will add it here in dedication to Carlito ... my wee little "pepito" ... may you too now be playing in the soft grass and munching on your faviourite hay .... we miss you .....

Animal Apparitions

By Sue Darroch

Recently I encountered what may in fact be the apparition of a cat. Whilst the sighting may indeed be classed as subjective due to the fact that I was the sole witness at the time, it was later corroborated in a most interesting fashion.

Upon entering my new home one evening, I was startled to see a medium sized adult cat race by me along the entrance hall corridor and dart into an adjacent room. My initial reaction was to question how a cat had entered my home. Determining that no such animal could have entered nor exited the premises, and that there was no cat to be found, I quickly chalked up the experience to a trick of the light and a tired mind. I discounted the experience so swiftly that I did not bother to tell anyone about it.

The following week my spouse commented on an unusual event he had experienced whilst in our kitchen. He related seeing a black and white house cat sitting by the refrigerator as if in anticipation of his/her noonday feeding. His reaction was similar to mine in that he immediately thought, "how did you get in here?" He turned his head momentarily and the vision was gone, he also assumed it was a trick of the light.

I must admit that my jaw slightly dropped and I rushed to tell him that I too saw what I believed to be a cat. We had not discussed this before and at this point I realized that there may be something more to this "cat" then initially presumed. To further add mystery to the experience we were later asked by a third person about "our cat," of which we do not have one. At least not a living one!

Three witnesses does not remove the probability of subjectivity from these sightings completely, however it does add some objectiveness to this kind of report.

Reports of animal specters are certainly not new in fact they are ancient. One needs only to study various folklore and traditions to realize that the sheer volume of phantom animal stories matches if not exceeds the "human" variety. Case studies collected by research organizations such as The Society Of Psychical Research (SPR), P.R.O and the GHRS tends to bear this out.

Just about every manner and variety of animal has been sighted, and much like their "human" counterparts animal apparitions are usually reported as solid entities that break light, and display characteristics normally associated and attributed to them. Witnesses will accept them as an actual animal until such time as something unusual occurs, such as they evaporate, or if the apparition is recognized as a deceased pet. It is at this moment when the average witness realizes that something is not quite right so to speak.

In our case whomever or whatever we have witnessed is not known to us. However, a large number of sightings are reported from pet owners whom have suffered a loss. One of our readers writes that her dog of 15 years had to be put down. Soon after "Bandit's" death she and her youngest child were startled to see a vision of their beloved pet bounding towards their backdoor. So real did the experience seem that she physically opened the door before remembering that "Bandit" was no longer with them. For these witnesses the event was not only startling, but understandably emotional as well.

Another witness writes that her cat whom passed away of feline leukemia still visits her often. Not only has the orange and white tabby been seen in various locations of the house, but also can be felt leaping onto the bed as was her morning routine.

Parapsycholgist Raymond Bayless gives examples of similar animal apparitions in his book entitled "Apparitions and Survival Of Death." In chapter four he writes of "two sisters who were seated by a window during the day, when they both saw their cat Smokey cross their lawn in a most life-like fashion. As the cat continued it's walk, the sisters noticed that it limped, a very characteristic trait. One sister rushed out of the house and called to the cat,but it paid her no attention and passed through a shrub and out of sight. A few minutes later, the cat was once again seen by one of the sisters and a friend, who were by the same window from which the cat had originally been sighted. A search was hurriedly made, but no trace of the animal could be found. Still later in the day the cat was seen inside the house, and believing it to be alive, a servant offered it a drink of milk, which it ignored. Needless to say, the cat was actually dead and, to prove this point, the gardener exhumed her body from under a dahlia bush were she had been recently buried."

One gentleman whom called us during a telephone-in radio program claimed he was being haunted by his deceased German Shepherd whom he further stated was sighted jumping out of a large box that was located on his front porch! The sighting had occurred during the middle of the day and again was viewed by more then one witness.

Ghosts of pets (such as the examples given above) cannot be viewed as "crisis apparitions" as they have appeared long after their death. This should not imply that there are no reports of animal "crisis apparitions," but that cases such as these lend support to speculation that animal consciousness survives bodily death. Crisis apparition for those unfamiliar with the term, denotes an apparition seen during a crisis situation, just prior to or very near the actual time of death. It is thought by most researchers to be a telepathic message and not a ghost as generally defined.

If we consider the possibility of survival of human consciousness then why not that of animals as well? The witnesses I have interviewed in regards to deceased pet sightings have all confided that they are convinced that this is the case. Researchers such as Raymond Bayless, Dr Willis-Brandon and myself also accept that a strong case has been made for this by the multitude of multiple witness reports.

So what of the possibility that I am indeed experiencing an animal haunting? Time will tell and I will update this page if anything new or relevant should occur. We are currently considering adopting a living cat into our family - that may just prove interesting!

Sources:

Animal Ghosts
By Raymond Bayless (c) 1970 University Books Inc.

Apparitions And Survival Of Death
By Raymond Bayless (c) 1973 Carol Publishing

Ghostly Animals Of America
By Patricia Edwards Clyne (c) 1977 Dodd, Mead & Co

Personal correspondence and witness testimonies

For a family or individual who is living with a haunting the stress and psychological effects of coping with the unknown can be devastating. Whether the perceived phenomena is natural in your opinion or something supernatural the fear felt by some is very real and must be dealt with in an appropriate manner.

The following is a list of things you can do if you are currently living with a haunting. It is followed by a warning about certain individuals that will attempt to take advantage of or con you if not careful.

1.) The first thing you as a home owner or tenant can do is take ownership of the situation. After all it is your home! State out loud with firmness, but politeness that "This is my home now, you may stay, but the following behaviour is not acceptable ......" Again be firm, but polite. And please do not feel any shame or silliness when doing this. By taking charge not only will you feel empowered, but things tend to quiet down very quickly if not completely stop. Our witnesses have reported an overwhelming success rate with this seemingly simple method. One reason may be that the ghost has no idea it's causing you any fright!

Please remember that real hauntings are not like Hollywood films or Stephen King novels. The types of experiences described in popular media are fictional and designed to thrill and scare people even those so-called reality shows are usually sexed up to make them appear more exciting then they really are. The reality of hauntings is far more mundane and boring. Ask yourself if your fear is based on what might happen as opposed to what is really happening? Many people are quite happy to live with their resident ghost and once they get over their initial fear of the unknown are more curious about the phenomenon than afraid. I know several people that have nicknamed their ghosts and have expressed that they would be sad to see them go!

Also most hauntings that involve poltergeist type phenomena, objects that disappear/reappear, footsteps, bangs and rattles, etc are of short duration. They almost always last only a few months and then gradually stop completely never to occur again. So, hang in there!

2.) If you wish to have someone come into your home and offer a blessing ask your priest or minister to do so. It is their clerical duty, and they will be happy to assist! If you do not have a priest or minister speak to one at a local non-denominational church and again they will be happy to help. All faiths have knowledge of the supernatural and no official will ever ridicule you or your situation. Blessings are almost always offered at no charge or a small affordable donation to the church will be suggested, but not required depending on your own financial circumstances.

3.) If you have already tried the above and still feel you require assistance you may contact:
Spiritualist Church of Canada - http://www.lighthousespiritualcentre.ca/Churches/churchcanada.html
They are not as much a traditional church as a serious group of psychics and sensitives that will help people, if needed, free of charge.

Things that you should never do:

1.) Be very wary of anyone who claims to be an "expert" in ghost removal and wishes to charge you a fee for their services. Simply put, these types of phenomena are unknown and NOBODY can guarantee a clearing will work. If anything we have received complaints from people over the years who have told us that the clearing not only didn't work, but has seemingly escalated the activity!

There are also many charlatans and con artists who will prey on people's fears and take advantage of them during troubled times.

Please consider the following:

I received a complaint from a young family who spent several hundreds of dollars on the services of a very media friendly "ghost buster" in Southern Ontario and (the family) still have a ghost "problem." Additionally the family through their own research have found out the story given them by the "ghost buster" is historically impossible. I have suggested that they contact the police fraud squad as they feel they are the victims of a con artist. Unfortunately, they are just one of many who believe they were "taken in" after the fact. The worst to date that was reported to us was a widow living on a fixed income, who contacted us in tears after spending her entire savings of $6000.00 on various self-proclaimed psychics and shaman and still had a haunting to contend with. On a personal level this was heartbreaking for me. And no, she never recovered her money.

The "ghost buster" involved with the family mentioned above has many media credits, and this otherwise intelligent, nice family were fooled into thinking that this "house clearer" was well respected and legitimate because they saw him on television and an article about him was printed in a large, very well known, respectable newspaper. Please remember long lists of media credits usually equal media whoring not legitimacy, knowledge, expertise, ethics or morality when it comes to the "paranormal."

2.) It is NOT a good idea to try and use Ouija boards or other devices to "communicate" with your ghost/s. As a general rule, Ouija seems to exasperate the problems more than solve them.

We at Pararesearchers are focused on research, investigation, and documentation of reported paranormal activity. We will assist you if possible in finding ways to cope with your own situation and any personal information collected by us is covered under our privacy policy, which is compliant with current Ontario laws. Please feel free to contact us at any time admin@pararesearchers.org You will never be charged any kind of fee whatsoever by us, our parent organization PSICAN, or our sister website The Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society. It is highly beneficial to discuss what one is experiencing with others who understand what you are going through and can provide a sympathetic ear. You are not alone, many others are going through or have gone through what you are experiencing right now and have learned to come to terms with it. Remember that ghosts and hauntings have been reported for thousands of years and are indeed a natural extension of the human experience.

The on-site seminars for summer 2006 are now up and running!

Click here for full details:

http://seminars.torontoghosts.org/index.htm

We are really looking forward to these ghost tours/investigations! They should be informative and a lot of fun!

If you are in the Toronto-area or planning a visit hope to see ya there!

Cheers!
Sue

Ps: A big thank you to all of those who have given this blog a thumbs up or VARB rating! We really appreciate your taking the time to do so.

We are "Blog of the Day" on Blog Mad! Coolio!

Posted by Matthew Didier

I have a rough reputation as being a "doubter"... someone who questions everything and works from a legitimately sceptical viewpoint.

Remember: Scepticism (or the American spelling, Skepticism) means to doubt, not deny out of hand... Many people who are "devout" non-believers refer to themselves unfairly as "sceptics" when they are actually "non-believers".

That said, many people assume (incorrectly) that I must be "anti-psychic".

Yup, you read that right... "Incorrectly".

You see, I've two views on psychics...

The first, and one that will make most "non-believers" and "pseudo-sceptics" happy is that in my travels and studies, MOST of the psychics I've met were not charlatans by the letter of that word's 'popular definition'... but simply well meaning people who do believe that THEY do posses special abilities.

Okay, there are "psychics" who do reek of fraudulent behaviour and do things that make me personally wish that we could do to them what they have done/continue doing to their "victims"... but this is a SMALL minority... the mass of the one's I've experienced really aren't "out to get you" and really, truly believe in their abilities.

Thing is, more often than not, they're readings and sensations aren't 100% at all... in fact, the majority don't come too close at all to hitting near the mark.

Most of them use "cold reading" techniques that CAN "fool" the unwary... they "read" the person and give vague comments that make the person involved assume there's something "magical" going on...

Things like, "You're very creative" or "You like to use your hands" are not likely to be met with, "ME!?!? NOT ME!!!!" and make the person attending the psychic to believe they have "read" the person.

They also pump out "You're under a lot of stress" or "You're troubled by something" and then go further and say "Family or loved ones..."

Again, find me the person this doesn't apply to.

I could also go on about - especially - John Edwards... I actually do believe he feels he's legit mostly because he has let himself be tested... and yeah, didn't do so well... and, most importantly, didn't fight the release of those findings. Edwards does use the "Throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks" method with crowds, and seems to tailor his "messages" to the party he's speaking to.

In one instance, we watched him "interview"(?) two women... both lovely... who were widow's of the same man... they were actually Window #2 and Widow #3 of four woman! The first wife (older) and the last wife (very young) weren't in attendance.

Edwards used the song "Respect" by Aretha Franklin to speak of the man... he started "singing" it to the women asking if it had special meaning...

Hmmm... Think about this... four times married, three times divorced, always to younger and more "trophy-ish" women... and "Respect" played a part you think?

What was funny was, apparently, both women said that he was "not into" Motown and didn't like the song... BUT... agreed that respect (as a thing, not a song) WAS important.

What a shock.

This led them to act as if Edward's had made MASSIVE contact with the fellow.

I don't agree... and I see that "clue" as a gimme.

Next, I watched him "interview"(?) Melissa Gilbert (of Little House on the Prairie fame) and he said, "I see two dad's coming through..."

She lept (verbally) up and went, "Gosh! It's my dad AND Michael Landon!"

Again, not a reach and in my eyes... and certainly not indicative of marvellous psychical abilities...

HOWEVER... and I need to say it again, most of the folks we've worked with that have done this are NOT at all trying to "rip people off". They really do believe that they are doing something special.

As I have to admit, I hated to hear it, but as it was said to me... "You believe that they are self delusional."

Yup.

...but not all...

Now, I've experienced first-hand only THREE people who truly made my jaw drop.

Let me use one of these folks as an example...

At a seminar "up North", the sensitive heard a "disembodied voice" whining about putting flowers on a wife's grave. The grave, the voice said, was in a small hamlet nearby and the stone was misspelled... for the sake of anonymity, we'll say the name of the "voice" was Smythe and the stone was marked Smith.

After the seminar, the person told their friend about the voice and asked if they'd attend the cemetery with some flowers to look after the request during the weekend.

Well, the friend assumed it was nonsense, and humoured the sensitive...

They found the churchyard, and the Smith stone, and laid the flowers.

The voice returned and started whining, "What about Sam? What about Sam?"

They searched the yard, but found no "Sam" easily visible... the friend of the sensitive then parted some brush and found a footstone... "Sam".

This unnerved the friend, and the sensitive explained on the way back to the town in which the seminars were taking place that there was probably a "connection" to someone in the seminar and there was a person named "Smythe" taking the classes.

On the Monday when the seminars started again, they approached the Smythe person during a break and asked about their family in the small town... The person didn't know who they were talking about... and they moved on thinking, "They probably don't know that part of the family."

A while later, another person (not named Smythe) approached and asked how they knew of his Mother's family in that town. (The maiden name.)

Now, what made this case so interesting to me is the fact that we had two totally un-involved witnesses, and one semi-involved witness.

This same sensitive had another moment of note...

There was a house warming party, where everyone seemed very at ease... except this sensitive. Finally, after a time, the sensitive blurted out the words, "WHY DID YOU PAINT THE BED YELLOW!?!"

Now, this was interesting as no one had seen the "upstairs" area and no one had said word-one about a bed or yellow paint.

It ends up that the owners had indeed bought a lovely bed that was in bad shape. They thought about stripping the paint to the wood, but instead, opted to paint it yellow.

The sensitive's only remark was, "Well, someone doesn't like the colour."

As a last note on this person, at an event done by Torontoghosts, we had a speaker who was attending who had a big "anti-psychic" speech ready. The speaker arrived late and when he approached me (right after entering the site where the event was happening,) he warned me he was speaking and leaving due to a family concern... that's all he said and I was the first person he spoke to at any length...

The sensitive came right up to me and said, "Wish him well on the birth of his new granddaughter. That's why he's leaving... to see his new grandkid."

I re-approached and wished him well... to which his jaw hit the ground. Apparently, he had only learned of the birth on his way out the door and only had time to book the flight that night (hence his hasty departure) and then made his way to the venue.

When he had to speak, it was hilarious... His speech wandered into all sorts of odd places and was entirely "off the cuff" due to his original speech now being blasted by what he'd just experienced.

Needless to say, this sensitive/psychic impressed me... but there's only one problem with them... and the other two that have blown me away with these sort of things...

They can't do it "on command".

Nope.

No "On/Off" switch for their abilities.

Either something "gets to them" or it doesn't... and in all three cases, I've been to haunted locations with them when they've experienced "nothing".

One of them did start having "off moments" (I'd claim like John Edward moments) on sites and I sat down and discussed the "On/Off" switch and how it's automatic only...

It was then that I realised an intrinsic problem with many people's "psychical investigations"... and even readings...

THE NEED TO PERFORM!

You see, those that are "self delusional" and even those that have good track records will start getting "false positives" because, in their need to "perform" for people, they will extend, and reach, and really almost delude themselves entirely into a false sense of... well... sensation.

Therefore, I'll go on record saying this...

I do believe there is SOMETHING to some psychics... but it's few and far between and this "something" does not have an "On/Off" switch and therefore can never be properly and thoroughly tested within scientific confines without a HUGE sampling of data.

I do believe that the lion's share of those who purport to be psychic and sensitive are not utter charlatans and hoaxers out to defraud... but they are over-extending what they might have to impress those around them.

I do believe there is a very small minority of psychics and sensitives that are utter hoaxers, fraud-artists, and terrible charlatans. Most of these types usually hit those "in need of help" and bilk money for rather sketchy assistance... all with the happy words on the receipt (when one is given,) FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! (This frees them from lawsuits in the future.)

So, when it comes to psychic readings and assistance, it's truly "Caveat Emptor" (buyer beware) and remember... we've done a LOT of homework on this one and so far, no "Psychical On/Off Switch" to allow for a perfect track record of readings.

As long as you realise that when one goes for a reading that it's 99% miss and 1% hit (if you're lucky) that you're getting a REAL reading to the best of the psychic's abilities AND that it's really only for entertainment, then you'll be fine.

If there's a "psychic disturbance" around you, it will reveal itself, no doubt, and probably without anyone lining their pockets from you.

Oh, and if you're worried about a "ghost in your home", I entreat you to read the page at this link (click here) for ways to do that... that won't harm your wallet.

On a side note in closing, we have heard from many that have been horribly "ripped-off" by house-clearers... one elderly woman to the tune of over $8,000.00 who wrote to us begging for help without pay as she could "no longer afford it". Needless to say, we don't charge and were horrified that anyone would do this to a senior citizen.

Be smart, be frugal... and don't fall for it.

Sorry to get off on that bit of a rant, but I wanted to cover that base as well... I'm sure both Sue and I will revisit it again in this blog.

Statistically speaking cemeteries are not very likely to be haunted. Spirits seem to haunt where they lived, worked and/or played, not where their remains are buried. The few reports we do have from cemeteries are usually that of a deceased caretaker or a regular visitor, perhaps returning to mourn?????

Therefore my visits to cemeteries rarely have anything to do with the "hobby" and are based almost completely on my love of them as beautiful, peaceful and inspiring places to visit. I enjoy reading the markers and learning perhaps a bit about the history of a given location through the people who are buried in the local cemeteries.

Occasionally I receive emails or messages in regards to reportedly haunted cemeteries, and today a thread was started on our PSICAN forum on this subject. I recounted an interesting story, but refused to divulge it's location (beyond the city the graveyard was located in) when asked by a fellow poster to do so. My reason for not posting the name or location are in part as follows:

A few years ago I investigated as part of the "hobby" a wonderful, old cemetery with another group and our findings were published on the web. I was very excited to be a part of this investigation as it included two of my interests! However, shortly after we published our reports the cemetery was vandalized. I felt terrible, particularly because the vandals (unknown to us) were would-be ghost hunters.

Two months ago, the cemetery where my father is buried was vandalized and over 200 headstones were over turned many smashed beyond repair. This caused our family much grief and it was like having my heart broken all over again.

Cemeteries are easy pickings for thrill seekers and vandals. And, I don't want to add to their vulnerability by publishing ghost reports that involve them.

Can you imagine how someone would feel if they came to mourn a loved one and found a group of people with EMF detectors or worse Ouija boards sitting around their grave! It happens! I've seen web pages where family plots are clearly shown! To me this is disrespectful.

I do not expect everyone to think like me (there are cemeteries listed on our websites - so this is just a personal thing) nor as a moderator do I stop anyone from listing them on our forums. I just won't do it.

Hopefully my fellow message board denizens will understand my reasoning and respect it.

While we have received much postive feedback from our readers over the years we occasionally receive negative commentary as well. Most recently a scathing diatribe from a business owner who proclaimed her B&B the "Most Haunted" in all of Canada. A very bold statement indeed that we were quite curious about. She was very unhappy that we dared to question this claim after she contacted us initially. And was most disgruntled in a four-letter word kinda way that we would not allow her to use our forums for advertising her for-profit business despite this being a violation of our terms of service which she agreed to before signing up.

We view the above as unfortunate, but a solid reenforcement of our own values, which are maintaining the integrity of what we believe to be a valuable and worthy study.

To that end we will never willingly lie, hoax, exaggerate, nor make outrageous claims, that in the end only insults the intelligence, particularly of those who are spiritual in nature or have had an experience of their own. These people know that the reality of a haunting experience does not resemble a Stephen King novel or a great Hollywood horror flick ..... blood dripping from walls, corpses popping up from basement floors in search of victims etc ....... ok that might be cool ... but it just doesn't happen that way in reality ....

From the witnesses who entrust us with their personal experiences to the study itself, which we believe to be worthwhile, we owe our honest and ethical approach.

*********************************

Speaking of "Most Haunted" .... the T.V. program:

Here is a funny clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uD0dPhr9cQ

Thanks Penna ...

Posted by Matthew Didier

It's all lies... absolute nonsense! Right?

I mean, silly ghost stories! You've got to be 100% silly to buy into that nonsense! Right?

Well... no, you don't.

In fact, I submit this challenge for some of the commentators here... Go to any REAL scientist (not a CSICOPian or CFI-ian as they are corrupt targets) and ask this question...

"Do you think there is no such thing as ghosts and it's all bunk?"

Now, I've heard many people say, "You can't prove a negative." which is absolute and utter hogwash... but by the same token, without good data and evidence, you cannot prove something that, so far, has resisted the ability to capture that data. The evidence is "heresay".

Granted, that "heresay" is coming from some pretty solid sources in certain situations, but it's still "Witness Testimony vs. Actual Fact".

To state that something like this is bad data would mean discounting many things we take very much for granted... Science and exploration depend on hypothesis and "theory" for much... so although one CAN say that "Ghosts = Myths", they could very well be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

In my opinion, and probably the opinion of any REAL person of science, ghosts MIGHT exist... and people do experience ghostly phenomena... the question is, what is the CAUSATION of that phenomena.

So far, there's no good answer.

To assume that "Ghosts = Dead Person" is not accurate... it's a possibility based on some observation, but I don't see it as a given...

Some think "Ghostly Activity = Temporal Lobe Hallucinations"... perhaps, but their data is currently in question through the efforts of a couple of universities.

Other's (I have heard this) think that "Ghostly Activity = The Witnesses Brain Damage"... This is easily discounted by reports witnessed by multiple witnesses.

Are ghosts all "bunk"? To make that statement and refute a lot of excellent witness testimony, you must bring evidence to the table... and make sure it's good enough to cover all cases.

...and what spurred this post... Are ghost stories legitimate "historical data".

Ready...

I don't believe so.

BUT...

They are folklore and oral tradition... and they are fine ways of conveying the stories of a place when in the right story-teller's hands.

As I said in my last post, "The best ghost stories END with the words ...and to this day, his/her ghost is still seen..." which means you CAN impart the history with a place's folkloric traditions.

This is not to say you MUST "fabricate" a ghost story for every site... just those site's that already have a "reputation".

Not only is this an affective tool in promoting the REAL story (by using the folklore as a backdrop), but it removes the stigma of "coolness" for the thrill seekers who might assume "breaking in" after hours is the only way to experience these things... now they will know they can go during business hours and they can ask, talk, and look around WITHOUT fear of being told to "Be Quiet!" as they are ruining the "real" history of a site.

Of course, this is my opinion... based on examples and studies of my own... and the fact that I've taught MORE people the history of my province through ghosts than I've honestly done as a re-enactor.

One last thing before I sign off... Please, if commenting by e-mail or whatever, don't call yourself a "sceptic" (or the American spelling, skeptic,) if you don't believe... that is not scepticism... that is non-belief. True scepticism is to doubt, not deny... to want better evidence before passing judgement, not having a judgement in place and shooing away any inconvenient facts or data without benefit of neutral examination.

Science is not solely the proclamation of what is known, science is also the exploration of what might be... and we will never progress from any points without at least entertaining a glance at possible hypothesis and theorem even if it does make us question our sacred beliefs... or non-beliefs.

Posted by Matthew Didier

Toronto is doing it's annual "Doors Open" day where people can go and visit buildings and sites sometimes not open to the general public or, for this event, have no entrance fees. It all happens Saturday May 27th and Sunday May 28th.

http://www.doorsopen.org/

Now, I love this event... it presents good history and allows people a greater understanding of their city.

...but it's still not capitalizing on one simple thing... Toronto's ghosts.

Now, I understand that many purists see ghosts and hauntings as silliness that belittles the "real" stories of certain places... other's see stories of ghosts as "sly-asides" and little more than folklore that, to be honest, is not important.

Now, it's obvious that I feel differently... but there's something else I know for sure...

If you take a group of school kids and sit them in a room of a historic place and start telling them about the construction of the heating ducts, you might as well dispense pillows for the sleepy ones and puppies to play with for the rest. In short, THEY DON'T CARE.

If you take a group of school kids and sit them in a room of a historic place and start telling them of the "great historical figures" that graced the floors of that room and maybe 5% will listen... the rest will need the puppies and pillows.

If you take a group of school kids and sit them in a room of a historic place and start telling them the tales of "daring-do" that happened in that room, you'll gain a few more listeners... but many will be comparing the stories they're hearing to Batman Returns... and probably you should have the puppies and pillows on hand again.

Now...

Tell them that the room or even the building is reportedly haunted... and they'll hang off every word. It doesn't even have to be a "scary" story and you can even let them know (and yes, statistically speaking, unless you're in the early 1800's in a farm in Tennessee, it's going to be the truth,) that the ghost(s) are harmless.

People need to remember that the BEST "true ghost stories" END with the words, "...and to this day, his/her ghost is seen..."

In other words, the story is told, THEN the "ghost" is introduced.

In doing this, the story is put across, retention is better, and people enjoy themselves more.

Now, I'm REALLY a historian first in many ways... and I love the darker side of history and, of course, it's ghosts... and I've seen first hand the attention that the history of a site is taken in when wrapped in a ghost story.

But does the City of Toronto Department of Museums and Heritage acknowledge or promote it's ghosts? Not really... in fact, in many places, not at all.

You see, they feel that THE HISTORY SELLS THE SITE!

...so, we get 30 minutes of the discussion of the way the bricks of a building were made... 20 minutes of the list of names of people who lived/worked in a site recited... and then the ever popular, "Any questions?"

Wow.

What passion.

What kid wouldn't love that?

What kid/teen wouldn't be inspired to study more when hearing this?

Oh well... they all know better than us... and they know what entertains and educates the masses.

Our tax dollars hard at rest.

Oh, and before I'm blasted, I do respect the work that SOME sites do... and I do respect about 15% of those who work for the city's historic sites... and about the same number who work for the province's sites... and probably only 10% of those who work for the national sites.

The rest are very obviously there to collect a paycheque. History (or folklore) obviously intrigues them about as much as watching rust develop on an old Ford Escort.

Gee, I wonder why more Torontonians know what happened on the finale of Friends then what happened in their own city in 1837... which shaped the entire British Empire for years and to this day... and also led to some of the most colourful and exciting moments of our entire country's history... and involved some of the most tragic moments in Quebec's history as well.

Is this a fair thing to say? Should "we" expect our citizens to know more about their own history than a popular American sit-com?

Sorry to say, I have to answer "YES".

Within the next few days details of our new on-site seminar series will be posted to this site! Yayyyyy!!!! ...

I'm really looking forward to these! They will be in-the-field training and exploration, as opposed to being indoors in our usual meeting rooms, which is a nice change of pace in the summer months!

Keep checking us out for further details and the opportunity to assist us with investigating Toronto's ghosts!

*******************************************************

Further to yesterday's post on pseudo-sceptics, I took a quick peek at the board and yep, the "trolls" are still bashing anyone who doesn't say "WhoooHooo you have found the holy grail of ghosties" yeesshhh!

Good data lost in a sea of schoolyard bullying .........I'm glad I bailed before this ship sinks ....

That A.) Bashing people and their beliefs only serve to demonstrate their own lack of social skills and B.) real scepticism is to doubt and question not deny.

Recently on a message board (not our own) I got into it with a pseudo-sceptic who was bashing people based on their beliefs and their unwillingness to listen to his/her "proof" that spirits do not exist.

Gee, could it be that when calling people "morons" they may not care to listen to ANYTHING you have to say! Ya think!

I debated the pseudo-sceptic's arguments until it became circular with he/she using the old CSICOPian tactic of redirect and attack and no one including myself gaining any useful insight into this phenomenon.

I am not a psychologist so I am not in a position to speculate on why these pseudo-sceptics who never use their real names assume that they can educate via the methods of a common bully or street thug. Perhaps their aim is not to educate, but harass people who share different views than their own. If this is the case than the old internet term for this behaviour "troll" is very apt!

I feel I did my part in addressing this "troll's" arguments, but have no intention of "feeding" it further on that particular forum. It really is a shame though when good, clean debate is spoiled by one or two pseudo-sceptics who have little understanding of these phenomena and are obviously pushing their own warped agendas that include insulting, demeaning, and harassing strangers on the web.

Former owner of Amityville horror house dies in Las Vegas
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS (AP) - George "Lee" Lutz, whose brief stay in an Amityville, N.Y., home spawned one of the most famous haunted house stories ever, has died of natural causes. He was 59.

Lutz, a Las Vegas resident, died Monday, his lawyer, Larry Zerner of Los Angeles, confirmed Wednesday.

The Clark County coroner listed Lutz' cause of the death as heart disease.

Lutz, a former land surveyor, became famous after moving his new bride, Kathy, and three children into a three-story Dutch colonial on Long Island in 1975, about a year after six members of the DeFeo family had been shot and killed in the home. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the eldest son, was convicted of the murders.

The Lutzes lived in the home for 28 days before being driven out by the spirits of the DeFeos, according to Lutz' account.

The family's tales of eerie feelings and waking dead became the source for Jay Anson's 1977 book, "The Amityville Horror," along with a 1979 film of the same title and a 2005 movie remake.

The book and movies chronicled the Lutz family's horrors in suburbia, including visions of walls oozing slime, moving furniture, a visit from a demonic pig named Jodie and spontaneous levitation.

The franchise made a cult figure out of Lutz, who some claimed bore a creepy resemblance to the killer. But it never made him rich. Lutz claimed to have made only $300,000 off the tale.

Almost immediately after telling it, Lutz' story was challenged by some who accused him of trying to profit from the DeFeo murders.

In 1979, shortly before the film's release, William Weber, DeFeo Jr.'s lawyer, told The Associated Press that he, along with Kathy and George Lutz, had invented parts of the best-selling story "over many bottles of wine."

"We were really playing with each other. We were creating something the public would want to hear about," Weber said, claiming that he supplied the Lutzes with background on the DeFeo murders to weave into their ghost stories.

Lutz denied the allegations.

The Amityville tale and the rights to profit from it quickly led to a tangle of litigation involving the Lutzes, Weber, publishers, Anson and others.

After fleeing the home and abandoning their possessions, the Lutzes moved to San Diego, briefly selling Amway products to make a living. Eventually they moved to Arizona, where the Lutzes divorced. Kathy Lutz, who was active in a Christian ministry, died in 2004 of a respiratory disease.

Lutz, called "Lee" by his friends, moved to Las Vegas in the late 1980s, said Dan Farrands, a Los Angeles filmmaker who befriended him six years ago while making a documentary about the Amityville murders for the History Channel.

Farrands said Lutz was active in his Catholic church, volunteered at a homeless shelter and spent his time restoring old cars. Lutz was a lighthearted, Farrands said, until the subject of Amityville came up, "and then he'd turn sort of blank."

"It was a subject that was very troubling for him," Farrands said, adding that Lutz always believed he had witnessed the supernatural in that home.

"It was not that everything that had ever been said about that story was true, it had become a piece of Hollywood merchandise, it became larger than life. But, for him, that never took away from the fact that his family was scared away from their home," Farrands said.

"People are disrespecting a true story," Lutz told People Magazine last year. "It's my family's story, and it's hurtful."

Lutz is survived by his longtime girlfriend Cindy Stock, of Las Vegas, and his five children: Christopher, Daniel, Melissa, Gabrielle and Noel.

A private memorial service is planned, Zerner said.

Please note this is a partial and incomplete listing only. For reasons of space we cannot make each individual listing. However, we do thank all of those who we have worked with, and contributed to over the years.

Newspapers, Magazines, and Periodicals

We have been featured in all National Newspapers

• The Toronto Sun
• The Ottawa Sun
• The Ottawa Citizen
• The Toronto Star
• The National Post
• The Globe & Mail
• YYZ (regular column)
• Hockey Digest (Hockey Hall of Fame Story)
• Canadian Geographic
• The Kingston Whig Standard (Oldest Continuously Published Newspaper in Canada)
• Metroland News
• The Record - Kitchener-Waterloo
• The Guelph Mercury
• The Centennial Journal
• The Windsor Star
• Toronto Weekly - Lifestyle section
• UP! Magazine West Jet In-flight Magazine
• NOW! Magazine
• The Simcoe Reformer
• Ottawa Magazine (October edition)
• The Ryersonian - Ryerson University
• The Varsity - University of Toronto
• The Window - University of Toronto
• Etobicoke Historical Society - Periodical
• Vancouver Sun
• Vancouver Province
• North Shore Outlook
• Ming Pao (Chinese newspaper)
• Vancouver Courier
• Uxbridge Times-Journal
• London Free Press
• The Chronicle Journal (Thunder Bay newspaper)
• The Post (Weekly newspaper)
• Fall Issue of TBPL (Thunder Bay Public Library)
• Toronto Observer (Centennial College Journalism)

Radio Appearances

• CBC Radio One and Two
• Radio-Canada
• CFRB Mind Shift (regular Contributors and Occasional Hosts)
• CFRB (Regular Programming)
• 680 News
• MOJO 640
• CKTB
• CHFI - Magazine Radio
• BCIT 107.9
• NBC Network Radio
• CHML
• Radio Glendon
• TheRock FM
• CJAD
• CINQ
• Country Canada (CBC Country)
• Definitely Not the Opera (CBC Radio show)

Television, Documentary, Film Credits

• Sci - Fi/NBC Sci -Fi Investigates
• CBC - Newsworld
• Global Television
• City TV (News and Breakfast Television)
• Space The Imagination Station
• YTV
• eTalk
• Radio-Canada Télévision
• Goldhawk Live
• Michael Coren
• Planète Bleue Télévision - French Language - History of Ghost Research
• Shadow Hunter with Darryll Walsh
• Magnificent Obsession
• Canada AM - CTV Ottawa bureau
• Creepy Canada (Segment Producers Season One)
• TVOntario
• Toronto Tonight - Toronto1
• Naked Science II - National Geographic Channel
• Darkstorm Pictures
• Visionary Independant Films - Student Documentary
• Port53 Films
• Easy Film Production - Copenhagen Denmark
• Breakthrough Films and Television
• Knight Enterprises
• Toronto Film School - Student Project
• BCIT
• CHUM TV
• Humber College (film school)
• The New VR morning show
• White Noise press junket
• WCHS TV Huntington, WV
• Northern Mysteries

Books

• Various Titles - Ghost House Books - Lone Pine Publishing
• Tales Of The Paranormal - Kimberly Molto
• Various Titles (including dedication) John Robert Columbo
• Encyclopedia Brittanica (entry on Hockey Hall Of Fame Toronto)
• Canadian Ghost Stories Volume One & Two - Susan Smitten
• Strange Events of Ontario - Andrew Hind
• Haunt Cuisine - Robin Bellamy
• A Glimpse of Heaven: The Remarkable World of Spiritually Transformative Experiences - Dr Carla Wills Brandon
• Ghost Cats for Lyons Press - Dusty Rainbolt (was released March 2007)

A separate listing of public speaking engagements is available through Chris Laursen our media consultant. Chris has over thirteen years of direct media experience, and comes to us from the CBC.

All media inquiries should be sent to Chris Laursen at media@torontoghosts.org

British TV Series "The Bullsh_t Detective" on "Ghost Hunters"...

Penn and Teller's Bullsh_t on "Ghosts"...

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