Paranormal phenomenon is a mystical event. The phenomena usually defile the natural laws that humans had discovered in this world and leave a puzzling feeling on those who encounter the event. There are multiple paranormal phenomena that had occurred in the past. Some of the natural paranormal phenomena are reincarnation, where one reborn back into the world (North 11-13); possession, where one obtain knowledge from a previous life of a person or being controlled by a spirit (North 19-22); ghost, an appearance of a spirit or someone who died (North 61-64); and finally poltergeist, a physical disturbance that is caused by an explainable force (Forcella). Out of this list, ghosts are the most often encounter in a paranormal event. According to a study by Gallup and Newport (1991), it is reported that around one of ten people of the general population had seen ghosts. Also, in another study by McClenon (1994), “…reported that 30% of his accounts of supernatural events refer specifically to apparition experiences.” Which means that most cases that is related to paranormal phenomenon is most likely to be ghost related (Laythe and Own 1). Despite being the most encountered event, the explanation for ghosts existence are not as well defined as it is for poltergeists. Also, when comparing to the four previously listed paranormal phenomena, poltergeist does not always involved life beyond death. In most cases, it involves the living with some concrete explanation of the poltergeist activity (Forcella).
The existence of poltergeists have been around for centuries. The first reported case of poltergeist activities dated back in 858 B.C.E. The event occurred in Rhine, Germany and it caused disturbances around the area by throwing stones t...
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Frazier, Kendrick. Science Confronts the Paranormal. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus, 1986. Print.
Houran, James, and Rense Lange. "A Rasch Hierarchy of Haunt and Poltergeist Experiences." Journal of Parapsychology 65.1 (2001): 41-58. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
Laytme, Brian, and Kay Owen. "Paranormal Belief and the Strange Case of Haunt Experiences: Evidence of a Neglected Population." Journal of Parapsychology 76.1 (2012): 79-108. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
North, Anthony. The Paranormal: A Guide to the Unexplained. London: Blandford, 1996. Print.
Polidoro, Massimo. "Beware of poltergeists." Skeptical Inquirer Sept.-Oct. 2005: 22+. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Radford, Benjamin. "The bell witch mystery." Skeptical Inquirer Jan.-Feb. 2012: 32+. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
“We have travelled from Florida to Radford, Virginia on four different occasions to investigate St. Albans,” said Terri. During that time they have experienced a plethora of paranormal activity, including the sounds of disembodied voices, the vision of a full-body apparition, having an investigator slapped by an unseen hand, disembodied growling, and a disappearing door, among others.
The book, What’s So Super About the Supernatural tells of well known stories about poltergeists. A poltergeist is a noisy or high energy ghost who might perform violent activity. A young girl by the name of Tina Resch lived in Ohio and is known to be a poltergeist. “No ghost was ever seen or heard on camera; however when the camera was inadvertently left running, the tape showed Tina surreptitiously pulling over a lamp” (Gardner). The evidence was found after people were reporting the activity. Newspaper reporters went to the scene to check out the action only to find evidence of Tina throwing objects violently around the house. Another example of proof that ghosts exist goes back to a case involving a poltergeist in England. An eleven-year-old boy by the name of Matthew Manning performed several violent actions that his dad had noticed and reported. Gardner writes, “ On one occasion, Matthew’s bed was thrown about and left leaning at an angle against the wall” (Gardner). These examples are not the only reported cases regarding ghosts and paranormal activity. Many stories about the supernatural have been told and passed down for several generations. Spirits are even mentioned in well known religious books that have been passed down for hundreds of
In all of human history, people have written about inhuman beings, many of which include gods, demons, wizards, sorcerers, sorceresses, and witches. Nowadays mystical beings are seen everywhere in media. Most of society stopped believing in these creatures years ago, but for 17th-century Salem, witchcraft became a living nightmare (Fremon, 1999).
McCarthy, R. (2004). Uneasy truce in the city of ghosts. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from
St. Albans Sanatorium is a destination known by serious paranormal investigators as a place where they can seek answers to the mysteries of what lies beyond death. Some of these investigators were able to find resolutions for themselves to a number of these age old riddles through their experiences at the sanatorium. The frightening and true stories found within the pages of this book are about these inquisitive investigators’ encounters with The Ghosts of St. Albans Sanatorium.
Karr-Morse, R., & Wiley, M. S. (1997). Ghost from the Nursery. New York : The Atlantic Monthly Press.
between living organisms and their external environment that seem that seemed to transcend the known physical laws of nature (The Rhine, 2013). According to (Nichols, 2011) parapsychology was studied over 100 years and in that time amassed thousands of cases studies and formal experiments in order to better understand these non-ordinary realms. In the study of paranormal activity, they have been studying them in lavatories. When studying parapsychology, people try to get an understanding and hope to get their questions answered about the phenomena aspects of these subjects. Scientist who study paranormal activities are trying to discover why these events occur. Parapsychology came about in the 1930s. When in a paranormal situation it is weird and scary and sometimes unbelievable.
aranormal activity has been a cause of fear and excitement throughout history. The unknown attracts the curiosity from those who wonder whether the supernatural is real or a figment of the imagination. Ghosts are one of the supernatural beings whose existence is questioned every day. Many want to deny the existence of ghosts because they are terrified of other phantoms who may exist and ignore the evidence that has been brought forth throughout the years. However, ghosts are supernatural pheromones whose existence still impacts today’s society.
There are many theories as to how someone or something becomes a ghost. This is called Paranormal which means beyond normal and scientific name is parapsychology, which means study of interactions between living organisms and their external environment that seem to transcend the known physical laws of nature (Britannica, 147). In 1920, Dr. William McDougall was the first scientific psychical who research about Paranormal Activity (Stefanik, 2000). According to Stefanik, Paranormal experiences often seem weird, uncanny, or unnatural. Typically they are quite rare but there are a few exceptional "stars" such as who have regular paranormal experiences and may show seemingly consistent paranormal ability (Daniel, 2004). Different types of scientists who researched about paranormal activity was spiritualists. The scientists accepted paranormal to be real. There are believers and nonbelievers about the paranormal phenomenon. Discussion about parapsychological phenomena has assumed emotional overtones, unsuitable to scientific discipline, and outspoken but contradictory opinions are still voiced (Cauz, 2010, p.147)
The Nelly Butler hauntings is referred to as the first recorded ghost story in American history (LiBrizzi 5), and possibly the most exciting hauntings to date as there are still many unsolved mysteries. The apparition appeared on more than 30 separate occasions to over 100 witnesses in Sullivan, Maine, just over fifteen years after the American Revolution (5-6). Although the Nelly Butler apparition is one of the most convincing ghosts of all time, it was subject to suspicions of fraud. These claims turn out to be groundless as the evidence reveals the ghost to be genuine.
In today’s rational and scientifically explainable world, it would be hard for us to believe in supernatural intervention in our every day lives unlike during the times of the Shakespearean plays. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there are three examples of this kind of thing: one with the witches, one with a ghost of a best friend, and one with the a few apparitions.
Cheung, Theresa. The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts & Hauntings. Element Encyclopedia Series. Unknown: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 2008.
Schanzer, Rosalyn. Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2011. Print.
For many years, people have debated whether or not spirits are real. Some people get scared at the fact that there might be something unknown lurking in their house in the middle of the night making their footsteps known to everyone in it. Maybe that person feels watched upon or feel some kind of presence in their home, or even sees shadows moving their way through rooms. Different people around the world have their own opinions based on religion and experiences when talking about angels, demons, and the spirits that have life after death. New technology is getting closer to detecting these energies happening in the world today. The history of haunting dates back many years, and more people want to get involved because of the new technology.
Movies like “Haunting in Connecticut” or “The Grudge” are fairly well-known and it is understood that they revolve around the concept of hauntings. Hollywood makes hauntings out to be nothing more than a vengeful spirit out for blood, however hauntings are so much more than that. In order to better understand the concept of a haunting and in turn to better understand the local legend of Gibbs Bridge, a firm grasp of exactly what traits a haunting encompasses is essential. The book Visions Apparitions Alien Visitors by Hilary Evans clearly states what the characteristics of haunting consists of in chapter 1.7. She says, “Hauntings are characterized by the place where they are seen which they appear to frequent.” (Evans, 98). Evans points out