Sue St.Clair and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our 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 our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

She Took His Breath Away ...

"This happened in Belleville Ontario. On Pinnacle Street in Belleville as a matter of fact.

My Grandparents owned an older home, approximately 200 years old now. This home had an upstairs apartment in it. My parents had lived in the apartment when they were first married. I was on my own at 16 years old and my Grandparents let me to live there alone.

There was always an uncomfortable feeling about the apartment, like someone watching you. It was eerie, and everyone who had been there had sensed it.

No one liked to be left alone there, especially me. I would frequently invite my friends to spend the night, just so I wouldn't have to be alone there. My best female friend was spending the night with me one winter evening. It was so cold that I had dragged my mattress out to the living room, which is the warmest room in the apartment. My friend Barb was sleeping on the couch and I was sleeping on the mattress beside the couch.

I was sound asleep, flat on my back. I felt it before I saw it. Before opening my eyes I knew that someone was lying on top of me. For a split second, the moment before opening my eyes I thought, "Has my friend lost her marbles?"

Then after a few blinks I saw it. A woman, completely white from head to toe. I could see what looked like white hair floating around her.

I was overwhelmed with fear wanted to scream. I opened my mouth to draw in breath. I felt my lungs empty, like I had fallen on my back and the wind was forced out. I could not scream because she had sucked the breath from me.

Then the weight began to lift, first from my chest then mid-section. I began to gasp for air, starring wide-eyed at her face. Finally she completely raised herself off of me, and then she smiled. Then she was gone.

As soon as fear had my breath and my speech returned I screamed. My lady friend woke up from her place on the sofa and asked me what was wrong. I told her my story, blubbering as I spoke. Barb told me I was dreaming, and to forget about it.

Well, I tried to forget about it.

12 years later I'm in my late twenties and it still bothers me. I still can't sleep on my back.

One night about 2 years ago I was visiting my Mother. We had a few glasses of wine and I decided to tell her my story. I was at the part in my story where I first felt it on me. Then my Mother said, "Oh, she's the one that takes your breath away." At the beginning of this story I mentioned my parents had been tenants in the same apartment before me.

That moment was when I knew for sure that it really happened to me. As it turned out my mother had the same experience three times while living there."

Our thanks to the witness for sharing his experience with us! Please note that Belleville is a beautiful small city located approx 2 hours east of Toronto, Canada. Belleville still retains a small town charm and appeal with many older and historically significant homes.

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 or send us an email. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

Last month I wrote about the loss of our Carlito under the heading of "A Passing Of A Life" and in tribute to his life I included an article that I had penned years before entitled Animal Apparitions. Over the years I have received much positive feedback from those who have loved and lost a furry companion in regards to that article and how they too have received confirmation that their beloved animals do go on ......

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a nice lady from Texas USA by the name of Dusty Rainbolt. Dusty is the author of an upcoming book (March 2007) about "ghost cats." She requested a phone-in interview with me in regards to this most fascinating topic and I was happy to oblige.

During the course of that interview I decided to ask her why her interest in writing on this subject, and she related the following:

Dusty is involved with a cat rescue shelter in her home town. Often cats and kittens end living in her home while waiting to be adopted. She told me of a kitten she had fostered that was born sickly and lived only just 8 months, but during that time they developed a strong bond. After the kitten's passing she received an epiphany when this kitten returned to her. Most often by leaving indents where she slept in Dusty's bed. Mrs. Rainbolt is married to a professional scientist, and has a strong leaning towards science herself. She confided in me that prior to this she never gave the paranormal a second thought. However, with her experiences combined with exhaustive research she is now convinced that animal consciousness does survive physical death.

Last week while surfing through blogs I came across The Spicy Cauldron and a new friend by the name of Andy. Andy has recently lost his beloved companion of 19 years. To read through Andy's memorial for Dolly is to gain an understanding of the deep love and affection that can occur when human and animal bond so strongly. And it is very touching!

I am very happy to report that within a week of Dolly's passing Andy and his spouse have also received confirmation that Dolly's spirit survives. You may read about it and view Andy's photos by clicking here.

I understand that many of you might be shaking your head at all of this.

However, for the people that are touched by the soul of an animal this can be a very powerful, spiritually enriching life experience that alters their own views on death and perhaps more importantly life and how we live it.

Cheers!
Sue

There is something magical about spending hours pouring through the shelves of our local used book shop. A feeling that surfing through online auction sites could never reproduce, no matter how good my find.

My favourite shop is located on Yonge Street just south of Bloor here in Toronto, Canada.

There are three stories that you access via a series of ancient wooden staircases. And the steps creak as you trod upon them. Each floor is jam packed with books on every topic imaginable. Some are shelved and others are stacked willy-nilly about each room. The musty smell of dust and pages well worn is like heaven to me .... and when I find a "new" treasure for our collection the excitement I feel is akin to any kid let loose at Sugar Mountain! (our favourite candy shop).

I picked up this gem, The Missing Seven Hours, by David Haisell for 0.99 cents. It was originally published in 1978 by Paper Jacks and is now out of print.

The book details the investigation of a series of alleged alien abductions/contact that occurred within an hour of my home in the Lake Simcoe area of southern Ontario. It all began for Gerry Armstrong as a young lad growing up in the UK during the 1950's and a puzzling episode where he seemingly lost seven hours of time. The book chronicles the Armstrong family's experiences with UFO's, apparitions, poltergeist activity, and an encounter with their exact body doubles that spans twenty-five years and two continents.

What makes this book an even greater find for our ever growing collection is that it's previous owner scribbled notes on the odd page throughout .... I love this ...like ancient graffitti ... if you are like me you'll understand why I consider this special .... and if not ... you probably won't get it at all ....

Cheers to the used book shop ..... you always make for such a wonderful way to spend a rainy summer afternoon!

Posted By Sue

Yesterday's entry entitled Sunday Night Smackdown - Using Scientific Devices, Without Scientific Protocol received the following question from Jax.

Is there an entry on this blog that describes real equipment to use then?

Thank you for your question Jax. We appreciate it!

For those who might be interested in equipment to use and it's application towards this study please have a look at our online guide book and course, which is free to download by clicking here. It is also registered with the The National Library Of Canada who have copies.

This is the course that all PSICAN and GHRS investigators use. It is based on our methodology only, which we are constantly working towards improving upon. There are certainly other ways of doing things, but we believe that it is good start and useful for those who wish to investigate ghosts and hauntings from a neutral and objective standpoint.

We also offer a limited series of how-to classes in the Toronto, Canada area in which we give hands-on demonstrations.

Please remember that when deciding which equipment to purchase or use within your own investigations you do not need to spend large sums of money. One online shop I surfed through a couple of years back was selling "ghost detectors" with their logo emblazoned on it for $1500 bux US. The same piece of equipment sold at our local science shop for $35.00 US! I'm not kidding!

Another quick note on equipment .... Ghost Club President Peter Underwood (oldest established 1862 UK based group) often does not use any equipment other then pen, paper, and a good supply of common sense. If you have those three you can often accomplish just as much if not far more as a person with thousands of dollars worth of equipment particularly if they are not aware of it's proper usage or how to correctly collect data.

We believe this study is worthy of serious sceintific inquiry. This is something we are very passionate about and we feel we owe to all of those people who have had the courage over the years to come forward and relate their own sometimes highly personal experiences. It is our determination to remove the "giggle factor" from these topics.

We want to thank all of those at BlogMad who have voted us Blog of the Day! With so many terrific blogs out there we consider this an honour!

Thank you!!!

Sometimes we have a look at some of our online colleagues and just have to give ouselves a shake .... or a shower .... you get the idea ... here is just one of the reasons the scientific community and the general public does not take this study seriously. And why some ghost groups do more to increase the ridicule factor that damages the integrity of credible witnesses than any sceptical organizations could hope to.

I think this might just become a regular feature at The Paranormal Blog .... rant away ....

Using Scientific Devices, Without Scientific Protocol

Wheee! Look at 'em go! They got their laser-thermometers and EMF meters and infrared cameras and THEY are great, aren't they?

Okay, first thing... Laser-thermometers and infra-red thermometers look great. They look like ray-guns! The only thing is, they are horrendously inaccurate. They were developed to take quick temperatures of things like electrical cables and boxes in hard-to-reach places... and those readings are just to ensure that the equipment is between the "normal" operational temperature range. Also, they only work on the surfaces they connect with... so "cold spots" in the middle of a room would not be measurable.

If the people using these asked a REAL environmental scientist, they'd be told to use an indoor lab thermometer... but hey, they don't make those to look like cool ray-guns.

EMF Meters? First of all, can ANYONE show me correlation between ghostly phenomena and any variances of electro-magnetic fields. Anyone? ANYONE?

No, no... not from some ghost hunters, I mean scientific evidence... where a "mean" reading was taken, then something ghostly manifested and a second reading taken that showed any changes...

Okay, so if that's not out there... then why take these pieces of equipment?

Because a movie told us to.

Yup, the FIRST documented case of using any sort of electro-magnetic equipment within the study of ghosts and hauntings was in a Roddy McDowall film called "The Legend of Hell House" in which a "parapsychologist" hooks up this enormous machine to flood the house with EM radiation to clear the ghost. Aside from this fiction, you only find mention of electro-magnetics when dealing within Ufology, in terms of propulsion. (Michael Deveraux first thought of this possibility.)

So, the media said "It must be!" and like lemmings off a cliff in search of possibilities, the "ghost hunting community" gladly tossed ourselves into the sea.

Yup, after years of looking, we found no documents or scientific papers to show correlation to changes to the ambient EM fields of a place and any sort of ghostly activity.

These machines, really, might just be machines that go "Ping!" and make people feel good about themselves and look cool.

Problem is, if we don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, precious few groups or investigators bother to use the devices properly... with mean readings and an eye towards meaningful variances... nope... they just holler, "WOW! LOOK AT THE TEMPERATURE HERE AND THE HUGE EM FIELDS!" without noting the window's now open and the fluorescent lights just got turned on.

Oh, quick note... SCIENTIFICALLY, there is some evidence to show that in a place with solid, high ambient electro-magnetic energy about, people COULD be hallucinating. At least, that's what Dr. Michael Persinger of Laurentian University has found... although his findings are being questioned. None-the-less, the "ghost hunters" getting excited about the high EM fields at the haunt they're investigating assuming it's "proof of ghosts" could be proving it's "proof that everyone's hallucinating"!

OUR only caveat is... if you use scientific equipment, LEARN to use it properly to find out SIGNIFICANT data... I also recommend going to a "science store" (not a "ghost hunters store") to buy and ask about this type of equipment... the reason I say this is when I first posted this note many moons ago, a "ghost hunter store" literally tried to bribe me to remove the report... the truth would be bad for business, I guess.

Posted By Matthew Didier

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our 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 our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

This week's entry is an old favourite from Durham Region (just east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada) which has just received a much needed rewrite.

For decades Salem's Lot (locally named after the Stephen King novel) was a local hangout for area teens. Strange stories circulated around the open fields and dense trees which handily lent themselves to the eerie atmosphere of the place.

Perhaps the creepiest of all is the one chronicled in the book "Ontario Ghost Stories," by Barbara Smith (c) 1998. It involves two young men who ventured out to Salem's Lot during the 1980s. Both of the gentlemen were aware of the stories and legends surrounding the area, but admittedly did not put too much stock in them.

Upon arriving they discovered that an old road that was used to enter the site had disappeared over the approx. five year span since the primary witness had last visited. This was slightly unsettling, but they decided to press on.

Following a path on foot they were led to an area which was adjacent to a farmer's field. It was at this point that they decided to add to the already sinister reputation of Salem's Lot by pulling a seemingly (at the moment) harmless enough prank.

Laughing at their own fun, and the thought of scaring the local teens, they carved a symbol of the "Necronomicon" into the ground. As they began to dig they discovered that the soil was concealing asphalt. Perplexed, they decided to dig a little deeper. And as they worked they heard what sounded like a dog barking far off in the distance (according to the primary witness).

Very rapidly the sounds grew angrier, louder, and even closer! The young men looked around yet could not see the approaching animal. And then the sounds became more chilling. It no longer sounded as if one dog was barking. They heard what they describe as a "pack of dogs tearing something apart that refused to die." Within seconds it sounded as if these snarling animals were upon them, and they turned and fled down the foot path they had come by.

It was dark and the men tripped over branches in their rush to get away. One can only imagine the terror and shock that they felt at being pursued despite the fact that the author makes mention that neither of these men considered themselves to be scared easily ... until then.

Later when safely back in their car they came to the realization that the asphalt they had uncovered was most likely part of the original road that they could no longer find. Apparently concealed for some unknown reason.

In 2000 a TGHRS investigator went out to the location and noted that a wreckers yard with at least one guard dog was located nearby. The investigator speculated that perhaps it was barking from this junkyard that caused the fright in these young men. Unfortunately the investigator failed to inquire if indeed this yard was even in existence in the early 80's or speak with the yard's owners so it is left as mere speculation only.

The events as described by the primary witness do not lend themselves to the "wrecker's dogs theory" as well. So should be discounted.

The primary witness had this to say through personal correspondence with us: "The sound that (name deleted for privacy) and I heard that night was not in any way made by a "junkyard dog". Not only am I quite familiar with that particular wrecking yard (I used to buy used auto parts there for older cars I drove in my 20's) I am also and avid hunter and outdoorsman. Simply put, strange noises in the woods simply do not phase me. The account Barbara Smith published in her book was more or less factually accurate, and was the single most terrifying experience of my life. I am now 35 years old and to this day, I have not been able to come up with a single plausible explanation of what occurred that night. I am fully aware that Salem's Lot was a party spot for teenagers, as this is how I came to learn about it. However, I had never heard a single account about any phantom hounds, or anything of the sort until I experienced it myself. To this day, I will not return to Salem's Lot after dark."

In 2001, accompanied by two other investigators I also visited Salem's Lot during the daylight. We did find evidence of Satanic symbols and the usual litter to be expected in an area where teens are likely to hang out. Nothing unusual of note occurred to us on that particular day, but we did hear a lonely dog far in the distance that may have been attributed to the wrecking yard or a nearby home. Thankfully nothing quite like what the two young men encountered that fateful day now long past.

We have received numerous emails and messages over the years, some obviously fanciful, others probable pranks, but a few that make you consider the possibility that at least at one time something of an unknown nature roamed this lot.

One of these reports include the possible apparition of a young woman that was witnessed independently by four different people.

It is my view that sometimes when you have large groups of people who continually visit a spot over a long time period (in this case thrill-seeking teens) with the anticipation of possible fright, that a psychic imprint is left behind. An energy if you will that is created by the very emotions of those who seek a thrill, and that eventually this psychical imprint takes on a life of it's own .... this effect could be defined as an accidental "tulpa."

In Tibetan mysticism, a tulpa is a being or object which is created through sheer willpower alone. The concept was brought to the West in the 19th century by Alexandra David-Neel, who claimed to have created a tulpa in the image of a jolly, Friar Tuck-like monk which later developed a life of its own and had to be destroyed.

Salem's Lot approx opposite Notre Dame High school in Ajax is now a new subdivision. It will be interesting to see if any new reports are generated from this community!

Resources:

"Ontario Ghost Stories," by Barbara Smith (c) 1998
Personal Correspondence

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 or send us an email. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

News Release from Skeptical Investigations Online
19th June 2006

In August 2005, with many subsequent repeats, National Geographic TV Channel broadcast a programme called "Is It Real? Psychic Animals" (also called "Is It Real? Animal Oracles") in which a professional media skeptic tried to debunk Dr Rupert Sheldrake and Aimee Morgana's pioneering research on the telepathic abilities of a parrot, N'kisi. The skeptic, a person with no scientific credentials, and the National Geographic commentator made unfair and misleading criticisms to which Rupert was given no chance to respond. He had agreed to take part in the programme only after being assured by National Geographic that the presentation would be fair and unbiased.

Rupert filed an official complaint with the British Government Office of Communications, Ofcom, which is charged with ensuring that broadcasters behave fairly. In March 2006, Ofcom issued a Provisional Adjudication upholding two out of three of Rupert's complaints. National Geographic's lawyers appealed against it, but Ofcom rejected their appeal and issed a final Adjudication in Rupert's favour on June 12, 2006. This can be now seen on Ofcom's web site www.ofcom.org.uk and the Summary and full text are shown on Rupert's website http://www.sheldrake.org

National Geographic UK are required to broadcast the summary of the Adjudication on Monday 26 June at 7pm.

Is there an after-life?

What are your thoughts?

I consider myself an Agnostic, but over the years of studying ghosts & hauntings with a hopefully rational outlook I find myself more often than not saying, "Yes, I do believe in some sort of an after-life."

So what do you think?

Death

Ghosts

Angels/Demons

Reincarnation

Nothing .....

What happens to us when we die?

We'll be very interested in your comments. Please include your country of origin.

Cheers!
Sue

Firstly Matthew and I want to thank everyone who attend our High Park seminar right here in Toronto, Canada this past Saturday! It was you ladies and gents who made this get-together so much fun and a great success!!!! Thank you!!!!

I personally enjoyed being able to meet with some of the regular readers of our website/s and hearing their own experiences with the paranormal first hand.

One that struck me as rather unusual, but not completely unique came from a young lady who works at one of our local hospitals.

She told me of a rather strange experience she had whilst at home a few years ago. She saw what she describes as a "cartoon-like" bird which flew across the room, smashed into a wall, shattered, and then vanished! She was not alone. A girlfriend of hers was with her at the time and saw the very same thing! Needless to say it freaked them out!

Now before you ask .... she states that neither of them were taking any drugs, nor drinking alcohol that day despite how it may sound like a bad acid trip ....

Interestingly this is not the first time I have taken a report involving "cartoonish" creatures. I have an article located on the Pararesearchers website entitled Cartoon-Like Creatures, which has perplexed the witness since childhood. Click on the link for further reading.

I will be sending a copy of this report to the young lady that I met at the seminar. I hope it makes her feel a bit better about her own experience, if for no other reason than she can be comforted by that fact that she is not alone.

Thanks again everyone! Looking forward to the Toronto Islands seminar on the July 8th!

Cheers!
Sue

If you live in the Toronto area or are planning a visit and you have an interest in Ghosts & Hauntings please do check out our seminars!

Just some of the terrific feedback we have received from our High Park, Toronto Ontario Seminar:

Well done Matthew and Sue!!! It was a lovely evening.
Scott S.

Thanx guys it was fun, we all had a good time!
Penny D.

Just wanted to say thank-you for tonight. It was very interesting and I enjoyed it. It was great to meet you both!
Jennifer T.

Anyone, and I mean ANYONE who has always even just wondered what ghost/haunting investigations are all about, how they're done, or anyone even just slightly curious as to how something like paranormal investigations can even be approached, I wholly recommend attending these seminars, even if it's just one. Matt and Sue, in my opinion are professionals. And not only in the sense of taking this sort of work seriously, but also in that they know what they are talking about, are well versed in the paranormal both in previous studies and in current, ongoing work in various fields of the paranormal. If you are unable to attend due to distance or dates constraints, that’s a total bummer, but anyone able to go and only passing on it because they’re doubtful of the credibility of these presentations should really make the effort and go, you won’t be sorry. I found last night’s very interesting and learned quite a bit, from proper use of equipment (much easier to learn hands-on than just reading) to what to look for and what to do at a site when on an investigation. Oh, and I also had fun last night, nothing boring about it!
Angela B.

This post is dedicated in loving remembrance of Jack Didier and Alec Demeter.

It was the night before Mother's Day 1999, and I had gone to bed rather late (which is too typical of me). I do not remember dozing off, or falling into sleep. Usually I daydream before actually nodding off. The dream seemed to begin the moment I closed my eyes.

I was on my late Aunt Helen's old rural property. It was dark, and gloomy. I stared at her empty garden, and began to weep. My aunt (my favourite aunt) had passed away 6 years previous of stomach cancer. She had been an avid gardener in life, and her gardens were always brimming with flowers. I noticed my Uncle's new wife playing with the dogs, but I was to melancholy to wave a hello. I just kept thinking how I wanted to leave. I walked around to the side of the house, and it is at this point I believe what may have been an ordinary dream became something more
.
As I rounded the corner a beam of sunshine hit me. Warm and golden like the real thing. There it was .... a beautiful garden that was so breathtaking I have to struggle to find the words to describe it. The beauty, and the tranquility I saw and felt could not even be matched by a master artist. I was in total awe........

Behind me I could sense the presence of another soul. I turned to see my Aunt Helen. She was radiant, appearing almost ageless...again I am struggling for the right words. She smiled at me, and all I could think to say was "your dead, how can you be here?" To this she did not answer .... she simply held her smile. I then started to weep again, and I asked her if I could touch her. To this she laughed and said "yes". I will add here that I heard her voice in my head not externally. It was almost like she was communicating through telepathy. I touched her hand, and immediately fell into her embrace. She felt warm, and I could smell her perfume.

When we let go she looked at me and said " I am here now" and pointed towards the garden. We began to walk towards it, but I felt a barrier. It was not something I could see, but I knew I couldn't go any farther. As my aunt walked farther into the garden she stopped and turned. She then spoke these final words to me, " I know it's Mother's Day tomorrow, and my children will miss me. Please tell them I love them."

That's when I came out of it. I was sitting straight up in bed, tears running down my cheeks...yet oddly feeling both at peace, and totally refreshed...exhilarated! It was so real. I felt as if I had experienced it all. I could hear her sweet voice ringing in my head. It was 3 am and I wanted to fly down the stairs, and call my mother (Aunt Helen was my mother's beloved older sister). Instead I forced myself back to sleep, and called my Mom at a more decent 7:30 am.

At first to be honest, I thought my tired brain had made this up in order to make me feel better. However, I discounted that because it happened 6 years after my Aunt's death. I miss her, but have long since moved forward. I fondly remember her, but was not thinking of her or my cousins in the previous days leading up to this experience.

I also pondered the why me. Her message seemed solely for her children. A friend who has also had encounters of a paranormal nature felt that it was because I am open to these experiences, and my cousins may not be. I did eventually contact all four of my Aunt's children, and gave them her message. Each one privately thanked me, and I think believed in what I was telling them.

I did eventually reconcile the why me question. Four weeks to the day that I had the dream experience with my Aunt, I learned my own father was dying. He lived alone, so it was a struggle to get him out of hospital, and home which is where he and I both wanted him to die. This time was one of the most painful, and difficult time periods of my life. As any who has cared for the dying knows.

I believe my Aunt Helen may have contacted me that day not only to pass on a message for her own children, but also to show me that the human spirit does transcend death. That we do go on...........

My father's decline was extremely rapid, and at the time of the dream he seemed in excellent health. This is why I did not make the initial connection.

My Father

My father passed away on July 6th, 1999. His death was sudden in that he lived only a few short weeks after a diagnosis of terminal cancer. The last weeks of his life were extremely stressful. He deteriorated rapidly, and soon needed constant care. We were determined to keep him out of hospital. My father hated hospitals, and wanted no life saving procedures performed on him, considering his illness was terminal. My fondest wish at that time was that my dad could spend his final days within in his own bed, and pass on in peace. As a very determined person I made sure that this wish would be fulfilled. However, as anyone who has cared for the dying knows, this was not easy. I look back at that time, and wonder how I coped......

Before my father became ill, we had planned our family vacation for July. We're were going to spend a week up at the cottage in the Canadian wilderness. When my father became ill I told my former husband to take the kids and go. I did not want to leave Dad. However, a few days prior to their departure as I sat alone with my Dad he questioned why I would not go. He said I looked so worn, and the tired. In fact he insisted I go! "Catch a big fish for me honey," he said. I didn't want to argue with him, but I can be stubborn! So after much consultation with his doctor (who felt my Dad had a few months left) and arranging 24hr. nursing care....I reluctantly went....

The last words my father spoke to me were "give me a big smile sweetheart, I love you."

We left on a Friday night accompanied by my sister, her husband, my former husband's brother and my nephew. On the Tuesday night I stayed up late sitting around the bonfire with my Sis, and my brother in law ( who is more like my brother). We were gazing up at the night sky, which was magnificent...and talking about the wonders of the universe. I think that is when in my heart I knew my father was gone.

That night when I fell asleep I saw him.

My father was sitting at a table, it had a white table cloth, and was laden with fine china, and crystal, the type I could never afford. Each dish was filled with my father's favourite foods...steak...pancakes...etc. During the final weeks of his life my father could not eat solid food. He looked up at me with a huge wicked grin. "Look at all this food, he said!" He started eating again, then paused, and looking directly at me and he said, "you have a good life." He promptly went back to his banquet, and then I noticed the swish of a long gray skirt, behind him. It was a woman, but I could not see her face.

I woke up much the same way as I did with the other dream experience. I felt as though I had been conscious the entire time...I could smell the food!! Again as with the other possible communication it seemed to take place without lips moving, a sort of telepathy.

The following morning I already knew. I guess I wanted to prolong the inevitable, so I insisted we go hiking. When we returned the proprietor of the bait and tackle shop in a nearby town was waiting for us. We had no phones, so I had left instructions at home to contact us if needed this way. The kindly proprietor looked very grave. He was sorry to inform us that my father had passed away the previous day. I already knew...my dad had said his good bye the night before..................

Alec A. Demeter
Aug. 5th 1922 - July 6th 1999

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our 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 our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

Mimico Asylum (now Humber College) located in Etobicoke Ontario is the most written about and inquired about "haunt" here in the Greater Toronto Area. I personally receive at least one to two emails regarding this location per week!

The buildings are very atmospheric despite their renovations, and the site has been used for several movies over the years including the Police Academy series with Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen. It is also where Matthew and I met .... but that is another story ........

The following is just one of the numerous reports we have received from students, employees, former patients, and area residents:

The author of the report was working as a security officer in the building after a well known College had taken control of the old hospital. The author had heard all sorts of odd stories and rumours that they did not believe.

These stories included the rumour that shortly after three of the old buildings were renovated, a couple of students went to explore the tunnels that connected the buildings. After the students had been poking around some of the empty rooms, they went back towards the stairs and heard what sounded like someone whistling. The sound came from behind them, but when they turned around it stopped. As they reached the stairs leading up they heard it again followed by a cold gust of wind.

Another story that got around involved one of the construction workers who was doing some work in the same tunnels. He was walking through the dim hallway when he rounded a corner and saw a woman walking ahead of him. He thought this was odd since it was late and there was nobody else around. The workman then noticed she was wearing a nurse's outfit. The workman called out to her, but she rounded the corner and disappeared. He followed and now saw her standing with her back to him at the far end of the hallway. There was no way she could have moved that far in the time he had lost sight of her. He approached her cautiously and called out again. Slowly the woman turned around and faced him. The hapless workman was terrified to see that she had no face and only a flat blank area where one should have been. He ran from the apparition and refused to go back into the tunnels.

The author took these stories as "made up to scare people,"and had no reservations when he was posted to the midnight shift at the renovated buildings.

The first few nights were uneventful, but he did find it to be very unnerving in some areas. (One of the buildings still has the old morgue in the basement which didn't add to the comfort of the author.)

On the third night the author had locked all the buildings and set the alarm systems when he began to patrol the grounds. While walking by one of the buildings that he had locked earlier, the author thought he saw movement behind one of the windows. After shining a flashlight at the window he saw nothing out of the ordinary. If there was anyone inside the motion sensors installed in the building would have been tripped off.

The author decided to check the building just to make sure there was no one inside. After turning off the alarm systems he entered the building. Just before switching on the lights there was heard a loud noise that sounded something like a "whack". The lights came on and the author noted a plastic garbage can lid (the kind that flip around) going around and around as if someone had hit it hard. He contacted the other guard who was stationed at the campus next door and informed him they had an intruder in one of the buildings. The author stayed on the radio with the other guard while they checked the building from top to bottom but found nothing. Every room was vacant and there was only a fire exit which would have sounded an alarm if used. The author checked the garbage can thinking maybe there was a mouse or something, but it was empty having been given a fresh bag from the cleaners.

The author told the other guard that there was no one there and went to leave the building. As the author went to turn off the lights he heard an audible sigh come from the stairway. There was no one there yet the author had the distinct impression of someone standing there staring at them. He shut off the lights and left the building in "one hell of a hurry".

The next day the author was transferred back to the day shift much to his relief.

For an in-depth look at the old hospital's history and photos prior to renovations please click here:

http://www.pararesearchers.org/Ghosts/FLPH/flph.html

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 or send us an email. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

Today I received an email from our dear friend and colleague Penster aka Penny. Attached was a photo sent to her by a former co-worker, who I have also corresponded with and can assure you is a nice and seemingly sane lady.

The photo is of a winter scene with this lady (Penster's former co-worker) and her dog standing outside of their home. The photo also contains what is obviously snow "orbs" and a mist of some sort at the upper left hand corner.

The co-worker sent the photo to Penny and added the note that this mist was clearly the image of a wolf. Penster sent it to myself and a handful of others for their opinion. She too can see a "wolf" in this photo.

I look at it and I see mist ... maybe smoke ... but nothing even closely resembling a wolf.

I have a problem with seeing optical illusions, so I would guess that if others are seeing a wolf, and I am not, then it is an optical illusion. This was very frustrating for me in the early 90's when two-dimensional optical illusions seemed to be very popular. Everyone I knew could see those images when you stared at a piece of paper with dots and I saw ... well just dots.

Disappointing for sure when I was told if I stared long enough all sorts of amazing images would pop out at me! Apparently my inability to see these images is related to the way my brain processes information from my eyes. Perhaps it's a good thing in this particular hobby.

I cannot post the "wolf" image for your consideration at this time, as the photographer has not given us permission to do so. However have a look at this one.......

This photo was sent to us a few years ago with the thought that it contains the spectral image of a girl looking out of the window pane. I don't see her, but perhaps you do?

In my opinion I think it is an excellent example of pareidolia (an optical illusion created by the reflection of foliage in the window.)
Pareidolia is defined as "The erroneous perception of a pattern or meaning in something that is actually ambiguous or random."

And I also think it applies to the "wolf" photo as well.

Be wary of any photo (and there are tons on the web!) that require you to stare hard or connect the dots to see the ghost in the window ...

The show, entitled Rescue Mediums is a reality-based half hour television series that began airing in 2005 and is now preparing for two more seasons. The show follows two renowned British psychics as they investigate and/or clear homes of ghosts and other spirits.

We were recently contacted by one of the show's producers in regards to assisting them with finding people willing to discuss their "haunted" homes on television. And I was quite honest in my reply that over the years we have been asked by various production companies if we knew of anyone willing to have their reportedly "haunted house" filmed.

The answer is almost always no ... and to be honest (maybe because I'm a little cynical or jaded over time) when a witness/experiencer contacts me (and this is rare) and their first thoughts are going public with the media I have to wonder what their angle is .... in other words most people are terrified of ridicule by their neighbours, co-workers, their home becoming stigmatized etc, and the last thing they want is any publicity. When someone appears to be very hot for television exposure the Amityville hoax springs immediately to my mind.

However, I did invite the producer to give details of the show on the PSICAN forums and invite people to contact her if interested. (We do not allow people to use our forums as a direct form of contact via emails or private messages for commercial ventures as we consider this spam.) And within one day I received several private messages concerning my "honest" opinion of this show. That flatters me!!!! I didn't realise my opinion mattered that much! Perhaps it is because I've gained a reputation of shooting from the hip where the media is concerned. I have often and loudly criticized the media's treatment of these topics.

I've decided to answer them publicly as I have never had a problem with voicing my opinion.

In MY opinion Jackie Dennison and Christine Hamlett the British mediums involved with this show have some real abilities as is evidenced by their work with various police over the years. They appear to be very credible, honest, nice, and funny in their approach.

Unlike so many other shows that had/have no problem with sexing up, faking, and hoaxing these women are a breath of fresh air!

If you are comfortable with appearing on television, and want to go this route with your own personal situation. Then I suggest watching a couple of the episodes and make a decision based on your own feelings towards this program.

I cannot think of a single program that is proposed or airing that I would say that for, and this is the closest I have ever come to endorsing a media project based on mediumship.

So there you have it. I have actually given a thumbs up to a paranormal topic-based show. But don't fear ....there is a never ending parade of schlock out there, and I will have plenty to slam now and depressingly in the future ........

To check out Rescue Mediums surf over to http://www.rescuemediums.com/

Posted by Matthew James Didier

Why do people write to folks like us? Why are you reading this? (Okay, some of you, I'm sure, have only happened upon us via BlogMad and BlogExplosion, but the rest...?) Why are we here?

In many and most cases... thankfully the great majority... it's because you're genuinely interested. Many simply want to know they're not alone and other people do/have/continue to experience what they or someone they know have. We have a few "thrill seekers" that are desperately hoping we'll give 'em a "good scare"... but then, there's the few, the proud, the mighty... paranormal zealots.

Now, many people assume (incorrectly) that we are inundated with so-called sceptics (read: Non-Believers because, as we all know, scepticism is doubt... not out of hand denial...) and other's who write to us to tell us we're woo-woos and none of this is real. Many assume these mails are the most troublesome.

Not so!

Nope, the worst are the believers... the "TOO-TRUE BELIEVERS"!

These people border on maddening and frustrating at times.

You see, they don't write to us to learn... they write to us to TELL us what we MUST believe. Sadly, more often than not, they neglect to tell us they already have the answer and only want us to agree blindly with their take on things.

This is cool and honestly, all opinions and theories are VERY welcome... but rare is it that the too-true believer writes to us to state something clearly and off the bat... no... they always ASK us something and hate the answer and then get really grumpy.

Sort of like this...

Dear paranormal people...

I've got this photo I took of my apartment that has an orb in it. I'm sure this is the spirit of my deceased great-grandmother in my apartment...

This is actually fine, and the stock-and-trade answer they usually get is like this...

Dear Witness,

Thanks for sending us the picture. Although many people and sites feel that orb photography is proof of a paranormal occurrence, through our own studies and research, we've really come to understand that at least 99% of these images are natural in origin. We welcome, however, any other information or witnessed events you might have experienced in the apartment that might make you think that your great-grandmother might be visiting, but the orb photo is something we don't work with very often. We do have an excellent article at...

...you get the idea.

Basically, we say, "Thanks, it's possible, but the photo isn't perfect. Got any other information?"

What's the response to this?

Rarely does the person read the article... nor do they address our message... nope. Far easier to simply rant and rave and tell us how "wrong" we are and how stupid we must be for not recognizing the obvious fact that they, indeed, have a ghost!

Even when we try to calm the waters and say that we do accept that there might be, but can they tell us anything aside from the photo, we usually get a carbon-copy of the first missive with only a few extra nasty things tossed in.

So what happened?

Simple... we didn't tell the witness what they wanted to hear. They want validation... a rubber stamp of approval that, indeed, their hypothesis/evidence/whatever is bang on.

...and boy do these folks get grumpy sometimes when people don't nod in agreement like a wobbly-noddy-dog in the back of an old Buick on a dirt road when they "state their facts".

Worse yet, as you can see, often these people start the whole thing off ASKING us for our opinion or thoughts... and then flip-out when they don't get the auto-response they expect.

So the question is, why do THESE people bother? If they have the answer, why ask the question?

Again, it's validation... it's the "stamp of approval" from "experts". They want the big "Thumbs Up!" from the pros... and they won't take no for an answer... even when the inconvenient facts are presented.

So, the next time you're asking a paranormal question, remember... not everyone agrees, no one has absolute proof or evidence, and indeed, people may not tell you what you want to hear.

Is that a bad thing? I'd say not... if you TRULY don't agree, don't argue... but take from the comments what's useful and build a better hypothesis or figure out a better argument... or even broaden your perspective.

...or you can do what many people do to us... argue, complain, get bitter, and in the end, tell us we suck and we're a blight on the landscape.

Some people feel this is the best way to improve the study of the paranormal... forgive me if, personally, I don't.

Addendum: I'd like to thank Dawn, Russ, and K for their comments and reports to this blog... Despite the apparent "grumpiness" of my posts, the comments have really given us some good information and pause for thought! We *DO* appreciate any reports or "stories" you care to share... (just remember, if you ask for an answer or some thoughts, don't expect a 'pat answer'!) Just use the "Comments" link below or click on a link to our main site (on the right) and e-mail us from a contact link there. E-mails are kept STRICTLY private and confidential unless we have your express permission to do otherwise.

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Also in Addendum: The username I use on most message boards is "Inconvenient Facts". This was gleaned from the title of a book, "Inconvenient Facts and the Will to Believe" by Karl Pflock...

I just found out that Mr. Pflock passed away this week... his witty columns and interesting take on things often seen in Saucer Smear will be missed...

Click here for a biography of Karl Pflock...

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our 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 our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

The Bed Walker .........

"Six years ago I bought a beautiful three-bedroom bungalow that consists of two bathrooms and a finished basement in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. It was exactly what I was looking for. Most of all, it had a large garden and I couldn't have asked for a better one. I happily moved in and got settled away. When I moved in I chose the bedroom between the dining room and the second bedroom. So, I guess I chose the first bedroom you meet while walking down the hallway. My brother chose the 2nd bedroom and I converted the 3rd bedroom into a library. You have to walk through the library to get to the sun room. There's a bedroom and bathroom in the basement area that I use as a guest room and is also used as a den or an entertainment area.

I hadn't been in this house very long when I sensed a spirit here. I felt his presence more in the basement area, especially in the workroom. The first time I sensed this spirit (ghost... most people would call it) was in the darkened area in the basement. I could hear him breathing and I knew he had died with a respiratory disease. I asked his name and he gave it to me. A few nights later while I was almost asleep, I felt movement in my bed. It felt like someone was walking back and forth on the bed. It would walk half way up from the foot of the bed as far as my tummy and turn around and walk down to my feet and up the other side until it got to my tummy again. Back again etc. etc. It never came any further than that. I first thought that the cat got out of her room as the movements were very light. I searched for her and she was in her room downstairs, with the door closed. I went back to bed. Said a prayer asking God for protection and went back to sleep.

The walking over the bed went on nightly for a long time. I felt that this restless spirit/ghost didn't want to hurt me or it would have by now, so I accepted that it was there with me. No problem. I wasn't freaked out yet. Mind over matter I thought, but why every night ? We all need respect and I was also respecting this ghost of mine because he to deserves it. With that respect came a little fear of the unknown and what it might do to me while I'm asleep. The previous owner of the house had already passed to spirit, died, when I bought the house from his wife and daughter. I never knew his name. After so many nights of disturbance from this ghost I finally phoned the daughter to have a little chat. I stepped lightly on the subject and was cautious not to be so blunt with my questions. After a while chatting, I asked her if anything ever happened in the house, like someone died in there. She said no, not that she was aware of. She said her dad died in the hospital shortly after they took him there. I asked if her dad had a breathing problem and used a humidifier? She said yes, he was asthmatic and had emphysema, he used it all the time. I then asked if there was anything strange that happened in the first bedroom. She said, "No but my father was placed in that room in the last year of his life, but didn't die in there. It was his hospital room so to speak." I thought maybe that explains who's in my room with me. I went on talking about the events that had been happening to me since I moved in and what I sensed around me. She confirmed that her father's name was the one that I was given and that he dearly loved his house. He was a good man and wouldn't hurt anyone. He spent a lot of time in his workroom in the basement because he was a bit of a handyman. End of conversation.

The walking over my bed continued. I started to talk to him. I started to tell him that this is my house now and reminded him that he was dead; he should look for the light and follow it. I don't think he believed it and that upset him because he got a little meaner to me that night.

He now would walk all over the bed, not just the lower half. His respect for me seems to have vanished. One night he pressed down on my head so hard, I had to get angry and yelled at him to get off. He listened and let me go. He scared me because I could actually feel his hands on the back of my head as he pressed my face in to the pillow.

Needless to say I didn't sleep well that night. The next night my feet were hanging over the foot of the bed, uncovered. An excruciating pain awakened me. It felt like someone had scraped a sharp nail down the centre of my right foot. I woke up in so much pain; I started cussing at him and told him to leave me alone!

He did. He had his fun for that night, and let me sleep the rest of it. He scraped my foot twice more, at two different occasions during that month. He was now determined to get me out of his room, maybe his house. I'm not a raised Roman Catholic, but someone suggested that I use some Holy Water. She actually provided it and said that she got it from the Roman Catholic Church. I blessed my room and then the whole house. What did I have to lose? At this point in my frustration I'd try anything.

From then on I said protection prayers daily and he seemed to leave me alone, for a while. Maybe the prayers alone would have done it, but nevertheless I was satisfied with the results.

Finally he got restless again. He walked all over my bed again. I ignored him this time, I mumbled a prayer and then he had the nerve to scrape my foot again. This time it hurt more than any ever, it left a red mark in the centre of my foot. This mean ghost was getting more violent. It seemed that this ghost wanted me out of this house, which is now legally mine. This was 3 o'clock in the morning and I had to get up to go to a 12-hour workday at 5 AM. I finally cracked. I sat up in bed and started cussing at him again, saying cuss words more times than I can remember. Enough is enough. During this cussing, he went underneath the bed and gave 4 violent heavy kicks making the mattress move. He was not happy with me one bit.

Now, for the first time- I'm really scared. I got out of bed, got the Holy Water, showered my bed room, asked God for protection and help again, then went to the den in the basement to sleep for the remaining time. I told this spirit/ghost to go to the light and look for God because he's now dead and the house legally belongs to me. I insisted that he leave right now. He settled down again. He hasn't gotten that bad since, but he's still here. My brother is very skeptical and doesn't believe in spirits or ghosts. I used to tell him about this, he would listen but I knew he thought I was losing it and finally going crazy.

My Mother, plus other people would visit me from time to time. I would give up my bedroom to them while they were here and I would use the one in the basement area. My Mother never felt anything while she was in my room. For one thing, she was very spiritual and religious. She prayed faithfully every night. God protected her and maybe my spirit/ghost liked a woman sleeping there and not me. All my guests in that room were women and not one was bothered by him, making me look as crazy as my brother was thinking I was.

One night while my Mother was visiting I slept in the basement bedroom, something unusual did happen. That morning my brother sat down and had breakfast with us. He asked why did I get up during the night and go to the sun room to rock in the rocking chair, keeping him awake. This chair has a little squeak when it is rocked back and forth. I told him that I didn't wake all night and had one of my most restful sleeps in a long time. He asked my Mother if she went there and she said she hadn't. She also slept very well. I told him it was our spirit/ghost and he'd seen a woman in my bed and needed a place to stay. My spirit/ghost was the one rocking in the chair! He thought I was joking with him again. I was totally serious. I do believe it was our ghost; no one else was here but we three, plus our ghost.

The second night, the same thing happened. He told my mom and me about the rocking of the chair during the night. I asked if he got up to check on it, he said he hadn't. I felt he was a little scared and frightened to investigate; maybe a fear of finding out what was really causing the rocking. I would have gotten up and had a talk with the old devil. I think my brother finally began to believe what I had been trying to tell him all along.

Little over a year ago my sister was visiting. She stayed in the bedroom down in the den. It was summer and the basement area is cooler and she liked the coolness. One night while she was sleeping, she felt someone rubbing his hand down over her head as if they were caressing her with affection. Her first reaction was that it was I because I'm very fond of this particular sister. When she opened her eyes to see me, she saw nothing and got a little scared. She told me of this event the next day and that she almost came and got in bed with me. I asked her about what took place and how she sensed things. She said she was afraid but got a sense of love and peace from it. She said she relaxed herself after a while and drifted back to sleep. When she did finally tell me about it, I told her of my spirit/ghost and if he caressed her head, he obviously liked her, where as he didn't like me that much. She didn't know of my extra guest, spirit/ghost.... and said, "Oh My God, if I knew you had a ghost I wouldn't have slept down there alone." I proceeded to tell her of all the things that had happened to me since I moved into this house. She was a little nervous, but I calmed her down. I told her that he's actually a nice ghost once we cleared the air and he has been leaving me alone for some time now.

About eight months ago, I was sitting and talking on the phone with a friend of mine. I was alone but glanced to my left only to see my spirit/ghost lying on the couch in the living room, as if he was taking a nap. I feel he was watching TV. I only saw from his feet up to his chest. I didn't see his face because there's a corner wall that was blocking my view. I shook my head twice but the image stayed. I saw the clothes he was wearing and still could describe them with ease. It started to fade when I went to look at his face. I immediately spoke to him. I said. "(Called him by name). You know this house is now legally mine. You're very welcome to stay and share it with us, BUT.... YOU GOT TO LEAVE ME ALONE." He faded out of focus and hasn't bothered me since that time.

I feel he's here all the time. I sometimes can't find something, I'll ask him where I can find it and he's told me on three or four occasions where I could find what I was looking for. I got a little excited about his accuracy, so I haven't asked him lately, but will probably call on him again if I need his assistance. My spirit/ghost has settled down tremendously but I never trust him completely. I feel we finally became friends and he has accepted sharing the house with me.

Thank God. "

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.

Every person has fears to some level. Children have many fears whether it is ghosts, UFOs, monsters, dogs or cats. Some fears are a good thing, like being afraid of strangers or being afraid to cross a busy road. A child must learn to be able to cope with their fears in order to live a healthy life. It is only then, that they will learn to take on life's challenges as they grow. When fear becomes too much for a child to handle anxiety can happen and the spiral of effects begins. When a child has fear that is overpowering and disabling them that is when it is time to seek help.

Desensitizing Vs. Empowering

There are a two different ways parents and caregivers try to approach the situation of a child having fears. One way is by trying to desensitize them, introducing them to T.V shows, books and the internet to name a very few. There are problems that may occur when you try to desensitize a child from ghosts, UFO's and other "scary" things. When you subject a child to television shows like who's afraid of the dark, ghost whisperer, Ghost Busters, the problems are that these shows are not true and are very inaccurate. They all create false daunting images in their minds, it fuels the fire so to speak, especially in toddlers when they are already trying to make sense of the world, and they are not yet able to make a distinction between fantasy and reality. Children rely on adults to help them calm their fears and make them feel safe. When you subject a child to these images, you are rendering them powerless against their fear. You might think Casper the friendly ghost is an excellent family flick but your toddler might be terrified of the big belly loud mouth uncles in the film out to haunt and terrify the little girl in the movie. Why wouldn't they, after all it is on T.V. so it must have happened... right? Be aware of the way you react to a situation. If when your child goes to bed and you are watching that adult scary movie and they can hear the woos and screams it can be just as damaging hearing things as seeing them.

Sometimes a child's worst nightmare is their imagination.

The other way of helping your child is by empowering them. Giving them the ammo for not being afraid, making them have power over of their fears, helping them cope. Most fears tend to diminish when they learn to cope. Your child must feel safe in his/ her bedroom and house at night. Younger children can empower themselves by creating recipes for ghosts to stay away from houses. Making up your own way of helping a younger child can empower them and help them to grow to the next stage of life. If you have an older child who wants answers, than the truth always helps. No one really knows what ghosts are. Take the age of your child into consideration and only tell them what they need to know. It does not happen like on television. Ghosts do not pop out of nowhere just to frighten you. Answer to the best of your ability and if you do not know an answer than say you do not know. It is okay! Sheltering a child from scary movies, television and the internet is an impossible task. When they do see a scary movie, it would be very helpful to explain it in great details. Talk about the camera tricks, the use of computers, make-up artists, special effects and if there is a making of the movie on a DVD then show them this part. I know of many parents... including myself who show their child only this part of a DVD. Let them know that being afraid is normal reaction and that they can learn not to be scared anymore. Keeping a regular routine will help a child know what to expect next. Talking about fears empowers children. It makes them in control of their situation. Ask them what the scariest thought in their head is. If the scariest thought is the ghost they saw on Scooby Doo then you may be able to explain the way movies work. Talk about how their bodies feel when they are scared.

Anxiety defined is the "apprehension without apparent cause". Usually there is no immediate threat to the child but they feel fearful and they may feel as if they want to get away from the situation or place. Let your child know that when their heart races and their tummy feels upset that these are normal reactions to feeling scared and panicked. It is extremely important to address your child's issues of anxiety with a mental health professional because as they grow up they will lack the coping skills to handle the everyday stresses in the adult world. Phobias occur when anxieties are persistent and fear becomes so severe that it controls your child's everyday functioning. This is when intervention by a doctor, psychiatrist, mental health professional or social worker could prove to be helpful.

How can you help your child?

Empower them by letting them know that they are normal and other kids experience these things too. Talk to them about fear and phobias. Never tell them their acting silly, these kinds of comments will not make the fear go away. Draw and play out their fears with them. Let them know you were scared once too. It does not make you a weak parent it actually helps them to know that you felt the same way and you can relate to them when you tell them these fears will go away... you are living proof.

Tips for Parents of younger children

Ghost away powder is made from baby powder... ghosts sneeze and they will not come near it.

Ghost Spray water bottle... A light mist and it keeps them away for 24 hours

Signs with light bulbs drawn on it... all ghosts hate the thought of lights

Draw pictures of their ghosts and then tear them up and crush them.
Always take your child's fears seriously and let them know you are there for them to help and listen.

Seek medical help for a child who is fearful to the point of anxiety

Tips for parents of older children

Tell them that no one has proof that ghosts do exist.

Movies and shows are for the most part elaborated or false.

Ghosts do not pop out of the woodwork to scare you.

Remember a lot of movies that have ghostly events happening are usually rated PG or PG13. If you allow your children to view these movies then be prepared of the after effects.

Remember a lot of night time television shows are geared as family viewing but are not as appropriate for the oversensitive child

Always take your child's fears seriously and let them know you are there for them to help and listen.

Seek medical help for a child who is fearful to the point of anxiety

This is in no way a substitute for medical or mental health professionals. If you feel that your child is suffering from fears or phobias then do not hesitate to phone a doctor.

Sources:

NYU Child Study Center
www.AboutOurKids.org
Article: Fears
Robin F. Goodman, PH.D. and Anita Gurian, PH.D

Purdue University
Article: Helping Children Overcome Fears
Giselle Goetz, Extension Graduate Research Assistant
Judith A. Myers-Walls, PH.D.,CFLE, Extension Specialist
1-888-EXT-INFO

Kids Health
www.kidshealth.org
Article: Anxiety, Fears, Phobias

Mental Health Association
1-800-969-NMHA (6642)

Tele-Health (Ontario)
After hours help from nurses
Weekdays 5pm-9am
Weekends and recognized holidays: 24 hours
1-866-553-7205

The above article was written and compiled by PSICAN investigator/researcher Laura Gervais. You can contact Laura through the PSICAN website.

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 or send us an email. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

"Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom: let anyone with the understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred and sixty-six."

Revelation 13:16-18

Today is 06/06/06 and the weeks leading up to it have been marked by some hoopla with pregnant women due on this day requesting to have their labours induced early so as to avoid birthing on this date, and doomsayers stating that the apocalypse is now nigh! Of course the "significance" of this date was not to be lost on Hollywood with the release of the remake of The Omen set for today.

Here in Toronto it takes on the dark speculation that the accused terrorists arrested this past Friday were planning their would-be crimes to also coincide with 06/06/06. It's accepted Christian meaning perhaps not lost on them either .... at the very least many were born and raised here and most likely also grew up with the same horror films such as The Omen ........

On a personal note I believe today is just another day .... in a seemingly increasing evil world.

Here is something else to consider about 6/6/6 ........

....."life itself is based partly on these three: Carbon atoms, key to life as we know it, have six protons, six neutrons, and six electrons in their most common form."

Do we all carry the mark of the beast .....

As a Torontonian .... I admit I was very disturbed when news broke that 17 people were arrested on terrorist charges reportedly planning to commit mass murder right here in the city I proudly call home .... and further disheartened to read on Sunday morning that one of the largest Mosques in our province was vandalized including a Muslim children's school! Hatred and evil begetting even more hatred and evil .....

I have often been asked if the topics we present here in this blog and within our websites frighten me, and I can honestly answer no ... not really. They intrigue me, inspire me, and will cause me to wonder .... but they do not scare me .....

Hate-filled, intolerant, and ignorant people scare me! And they are found in every religion, philosophy, country, and walk-of-life throughout this planet.

Do we all carry the mark of the beast .....

The doomsayers say that the final apocalypse is an inevitability ..... but somewhere in my heart sparks a light that says if we could only start a revolution of tolerance, acceptance, knowledge, non-judgement, decency, and compassion ......

Does anyone recognize this photo or aircraft?

We are working closely with someone who feels that they have had a connection to this B17 aircraft in a past life. Any information that we can gain to help the person learn a little more about the aircraft would be most gratefully received.

Anything in terms of it's history, registration numbers, crew, logs, anything... If you can help, please click on a link on the menu to the right, find any email address and send it via e-mail.

Your anonymity and privacy are assured...

Posted by Matthew James Didier

These are actual verbatim quotes from various websites that have really shown me that there are more than a few cowpats in the field of ghostly investigation and study... I won't list the sites addresses... mostly to avoid any backlash at my arrogance in saying their information may not be "perfect"...

"...as everyone knows, cemeteries are very haunted with the souls of the dead."

Un-hunh... I knew that, didn't you?

Actually, cemeteries are, historically and statistically, NOT very likely to be haunted. The challenge I issue people is to go to their local bookstore or library. Select three "true ghost story" books and leaf through them. Count the number of cemeteries reported as "ghostly places" in these books compared to anywhere else.

The number of cemeteries is quite small... save those that "ghost hunters" wander through looking for ghosts.

Witnesses tend to see ghosts where the person the ghost represented lived, worked, played or died... not where they are interred.

Now, this is not to say there are no haunted cemeteries... but when we do hear of these reports in cemeteries, they tend to revolve around the ghost of someone who worked there or visited frequently.

"...it is a well known fact that children display more psychic ability than adults because children are more psychic... they are closer to the veil..."

Um... okay, to make this statement, you'd first need to discuss what psychic abilities can be displayed and measured. Then you'd have to quantify the accepted reports from children versus the accepted reports from adults.

Personally, I've always believed that children are not "more psychic" than adults... they're just less likely to write-off a strange occurrence as a "trick of the light" or their "mind playing tricks on them." Adults are conditioned to ignore or simplify certain anomalous things as we get older so as not to appear "weird"... but kids aren't.

Hence, a kid will mention the "weird man sitting over there" while the adult, realising the "weird man" can not possibly exist, will simply ignore him and forget about him rapidly.

...but I digress and my thoughts may most certainly be wrong.

My point here is that the site has made a leap of faith and called it "fact"... which is a big leap.

"Old abandoned homes are almost always very haunted. The owners usually only abandon a home if the ghosts become too much to handle."

Oh yeah... that's the ticket!

These homes aren't abandoned due to structural problems that would require too much money to fix... or because the person couldn't afford the home's upkeep... or a death in the family left the home abandoned... or the new owners simply use the land, not the home... or... well, you get the picture.

One site even added that the house they were really interested must be haunted because a brutal murder took place in it. How did they know this? Because they'd "heard" this. No providence. No newspaper article... nope... Hearsay rules!

I can only imagine how these "ghost hunters" would feel if it was their own grandparents home that had been "abandoned" when they retired down South... and then they read about the "gruesome murder" that never really happened.

"We have certified the house to be very haunted."

Amazing! I wonder if they issued a "certificate" of haunting?

What was their criteria to "certify" this house as such? They experienced the heeby-jeebies in the house and took some orb photos.

Wow.

If this is all it takes, they're going to run out of certificates as they're going to have a TONNE of certified haunts to authenticate!

One shouldn't dwell on certain folks' shortcomings, but if you're a real ghost enthusiast and/or a ghost witness, look for clues that a site or group may indeed, be a little short on work and study, and long on conjecture and "declarations" without effort.

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our 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 our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

This week ..... The black-mouthed old ladies of Montreal .......

The term "Black Mouthed Old Ladies" is something we coined as it's an accurate description... You see, we've received not one, but two independent reports featuring these creepy apparitions over a year long period.

The stories are both from Montreal, Quebec (approx. 5 hours east of Toronto) and have been confirmed as being from two very separate sources that did not (to the best of our abilities to check) contact each other prior to speaking with us. In fact they were from opposite ends of the city.

Basically, in both cases, the witnesses were male and saw effectively the same thing... although the absolute descriptions varied, one aspect was identical.

Both men saw what, for all intents and purpose was a normal "little old lady" in their home. This was unusual for both men as no "little old ladies" were visiting or expected. The women walked through the room where each man was located quite normally except for one disturbing thing...

Both women are described as having their mouths hanging open... as if they had no muscle control to close them. As opposed to having a tongue or teeth, the mouths are just a vacant, black, dark hole. Hence, "Black Mouthed Old Ladies".

There is nothing sinister in their actions, the women appear in the room, walk through it oblivious to the witness and then simply vanish.

The first report received was from a young gentleman who while painting an apartment in which an elderly lady passed away shortly before, he describes feeling a presence, (like the feeling you get when someone is standing behind, watching) and when he looked up, saw an old lady whose mouth was open and (gulp) it seemed to him that it was extraordinarily BLACK inside. He describes it as a "black hole".

The woman walked into a room and simply disappeared. (He didn't finish the painting job)

We filed away this strange report, and did not publicize it until approx. a year later when we recieved yet another one .....

The second occurred during daylight hours also .... it was different young man in another house, located across town. In this case he was merely watching television when he turned around from his seat on the couch to see a "black-mouthed old lady" walk by .....needless to say he was quite startled ..... and highly disturbed by her rather unique appearance .......

Over the years we have tried to find similar reports ..... have searched through mountains of text on folklore from various cultures, and have found nothing quite like these gruesome apparitions .......

Have you ever heard of anything similar? Have any theories on why she would appear with a large gaping black hole where her mouth should be?

I've got to admit that it is not often I receive a ghost report or read a story that frightens me .... but the thought of bumping into one of these specters is rather chilling! And yeah, even this hardened sceptical gal would want to run!

Sleep tight!

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.

BOO!!!!!

Please accept my apologies for no entry yesterday, but I've been working on the booklets for our on-site seminars. I want to make them special by providing information that is not already available on our websites. I'm also very picky about the look of them, so a lot of typing, followed by a lot of deleting, and more typing again.

If you are a ghost enthusiast or just curious about the subject and live in the G.T.A or are planning a visit to Toronto this summer you might want to check out our on-site seminars! They should be a lot of fun and educational to boot! Just click on the link below or on the navigation bar to the right:

Investigating Ghosts!

Watch for our "Freaky Friday" feature as tomorrow's entry ... more of our personal Fortean faves!