Paranormal Activity, and Abandoned Houses/Buildings.

No, I'm not talking about the movie, but did you know they're coming out with a 5th one in October? Crazy, right?

No but seriously, I've been watching a lot of Paranormal Witness lately, and I actually think it's really interesting. I mean, I'm not scared, because I find that I don't really get scared of stuff like that, y'know, but I love that show. In general I consider myself to be a pretty big fan of horror-related things (i.e. movies, games, shows) and despite the fact that they don't really scare me, I still find them entertaining and fascinating. But the main difference between Paranormal Witness and other horror-related things I watch (Bates Motel, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, The Saw Series, ETC, ETC) is that those shows or movies are fiction and, as far as I know, the stories being played out in each episode of Paranormal Witness is not. Now, am I saying I believe in ghosts or the Paranormal? Nah, not really, I think that's only something you can truly believe in only if you've experienced something like these people have, and I have not and to be honest, I doubt I ever will, and if I do I have absolutely no idea how I'd react to it, or handle it.

Lets be honest, if I were to ever find myself living in a house where shit kept getting thrown around and I was being watched by someone I can't see and they could potentially hurt my pets or me, I'd absolutely refuse to even be in that house. I'd tell someone about it, and share my experience but if I honestly ever dealt with that kind of stuff, I'd be packing my stuff up, getting my animals all packed up and moving out of there. I don't have the patience or the ability to deal with that. I HATE being watched, it makes me freeze in my tracks and I feel like I can't do anything without being judged or something and I mean, it's one thing if it's someone physically there with you, but it's entirely another thing to have it be someone you can't see or tell to stop.
I'd have too much anxiety, paranoia and I'd be way too uncomfortable. Not to mention I have clinical depression and as such, I feel as though that's something that a negative entity would feed off of, and make worse, and it just would not be a good scenario.

THE SIGNS OF A HAUNTING

The first step is to determine, as best you can, whether or not you truly have a legitimate case of a haunting. Not all hauntings are alike, and they may exhibit a variety of phenomena. Some hauntings feature a single phenomenon - such as a particular door slamming shut that occurs repeatedly - while others consist of many different phenomena, ranging from odd noises to full-blown apparitions.

Here’s a partial list of phenomena that might indicate that your house is haunted:

• Unexplained noises- footsteps; knocks, banging, rapping; scratching sounds; sounds of something being dropped. Sometimes these noises can be subtle and other times they can be quite loud.
• Doors, cabinets and cupboards opening and closing- most often, these phenomena are not seen directly. The experiencer either hears the distinct sounds of the doors opening and closing (homeowners get to know quite well the distinctive sounds their houses make) or the experiencer will return to a room to find a door open or closed when they are certain that it was left in the opposite position. Sometimes furniture, like kitchen chairs, are perceived to have been moved. Very rarely will the experiencer actually witness the phenomenon taking place.
• Lights turning off and on- likewise, these events are seldom seen actually occurring, but the lights are switched on or off when the experiencer knows they were not left that way. This can also happen with TVs, radios and other electrically powered items.
• Items disappearing and reappearing- Lets say, your set of car keys - which you believe you placed in a spot you routinely place them. But they’re gone and you look high and low for them with no success. Some time later, the keys are found - in exactly the place you normally put them. It’s as if the object was borrowed by someone or something for a short time, then returned. Sometimes they are not returned for days or even weeks, but when they are, it’s in an obvious place that could not have been missed by even a casual search.
• Unexplained shadows- the sighting of fleeting shapes and shadows, usually seen out of the corner of the eye. This phenomenon has also been discussed in some detail in Shadow People. Many times, the shadows have vaguely human forms, while other times they are less distinguishable or smaller.
• Strange animal behavior- a dog, cat or other pet behaves strangely. Dogs may bark at something unseen, cower without apparent reason or refuse to enter a room they normally do. Cats may seem to be “watching” something cross a room. Animals have sharper senses than humans, and many researchers think their psychic abilities might be more finely tuned also.
• Feelings of being watched- this is not an uncommon feeling and can be attributed to many things, but it could have a paranormal source if the feeling consistently occurs in a particular part of the house at a particular time.

STRONGER EVIDENCEThe following phenomena are more rare, but could be stronger evidence of a haunting:

• Mild psychokinetic phenomena - hearing a door open or close is one thing. Actually seeing it happen is quite another. Similarly, actually seeing a light go on or off by itself is greater proof that something unexplained is happening. Do you see the TV or radio turn on? Or perhaps you’re present when a child’s powered toy begins to operate on its own. Doors and windows are locked or unlocked. Some people report that when they are in bed they can feel and/or hear something sitting on the bed.
• Feelings of being touched - the feeling of being watched is one thing, and actually feeling like you are being touched is quite another. Some people feel something brush past them, something touching their hair or “a hand” on the shoulder. Some feel a gentle poke, push or nudge.
• Cries and whispers - on occasion, muffled voices, whispering and crying can be heard. Sometimes it’s music from some unknown source. People hear their names being said. This phenomenon, as is true for the one above, gains more credibility if more than one person hears or sees the same thing at the same time.
• Cold or hot spots - cold spots are classic haunting symptoms, but any instance of a noticeable variance in temperature without a discernable cause could be evidence.
• Unexplained smells - the distinct fragrance of a perfume or cologne that you do not have in your house. This phenomenon comes and goes without any apparent cause and may accompany other phenomena, such as shadows, voices or psychokinetic phenomena. Foul odors can happen in the same way.

Rarer still are more extreme phenomena, some of which have been called poltergeist phenomena, and can be quite strong evidence of a true haunting:

• Moving or levitating objects (severe psychokinetic phenomena) - dinner plates sliding across the table; pictures flying off walls; doors slamming shut with great force; furniture sliding across the floor.
• Physical assault - scratches, slaps and hard shoves. This kind of personal assault is extremely rare, but obviously highly disturbing.
• Other physical evidence - unexplained writing on paper or walls; handprints and footprints.
• Apparitions - physical manifestation of a spirit or entity. These phenomena are also very rare and can take many forms: human-shaped mists or forming mists of some indistinguishable shape; transparent human forms that disappear quickly; and most rarely, human forms that look as real and solid as any living person, but that disappear into a room or even while being viewed.

Watch Paranormal Witness here and season 3 premiers sometime this June. :)
Abandoned Houses/Buildings:
I have such a huge interest in one day going to an abandoned building with a friend or a group of friends and just exploring the shit out of it. I would never do this by myself, however, because IMO that's a lot less fun, and you'd be alone if you got hurt or something happened and that's not something I would like to deal with. Also, I mean, I might just be paranoid, but I don't really know what kind of people tend to hang around abandoned places, and it could be really dangerous to just go by yourself.

Stephen Wilkes - Ellis Island

1. Administrative Quarters
2. Measles Ward, Huddled Chairs
3. Morgue, Prep Room
4. Isolation Ward
5. Snow-covered Corridor
6. Psychiatric Hospital, Green Room
7. Tuberculosis Ward

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http://imgur.com/gallery/J7sv8

Have you ever seen the movie Cropsey? Though this doesn't seem like the building or area featured in that Documentary/film, it reminded me greatly of it. I recommend watching it for yourself http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cropsey_(film)

Not abandoned Houses/Building, but I thought it was interesting and it was relevant to the Paranormal aspect of this post: (will update this at various points in the future)

Rosalia Lombardo died of pneumonia at the age of two in Palermo, Sicily on December 6th, 1920. She is the best preserved child in the world and she was embalmed by the country’s best embalmer, Alfredo Salafia.

Urban legend has it that Rosalia opens her eyes every now and then. Most of the time, it was brushed off as just a rumor, until someone set up a camera and discovered this.

For Horror game play throughs on YouTube, I reccomend Markiplier. He does other things besides horror too, but the majority of his videos are Horror games. Enjoy!

The One-Man Hide And Seek
Introduction:
The one-man hide and seek, aka the one-man tag, is a ritual for contacting the dead.
The spirits which are wandering restless on the earth are always looking for bodies to possess. In this ritual you summon such a spirit by offering it a doll instead of a human body.
Warning: If you have psychic abilities you may feel unwell or be prone to accidents during the ritual.
Things you need:
+ A Stuffed Doll with limbs
+ Some Rice (enough to stuff the doll full)
+ A Needle and a Crimson Thread
+ A Sharp-Edged Tool (such as a Knife, a Glass Shard, or Scissors)
+ A Cupful of Salt (natural salt would be best)
+ A Hiding Place (preferably a room purified by incense and ofuda)
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Preparation:
1. Take all the cotton (or whatever it is stuffed with) out of the doll, and stuff it instead with rice*1.
2. Clip a bit of your nails and put them inside the doll, and sew the opening up with the crimson thread. When you finish sewing, tie up the doll with the rest of the thread *2.
3. Pour water into a bathtub.
4. Place a cup of salt water inside the hiding place.
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How To Do It:
1.Give a name to the doll (the name could be anything but your own)
2.When it is 3 am, say to the doll “__(your name) is the first it,” three times.
3.Go to the bathroom and put the doll into the water-filled bathtub.
4.Turn off all lights in the house, go back to the hiding place and switch on the TV.
5.When you have counted ten with your eyes closed, go back to the bathroom with the edged tool (a knife, etc) in your hand.
6.When you get there, say to the doll ,”I have found you, __(the doll’s name),” and stab the doll with the edged tool*3.
7. Say “You are the next it, __(the doll’s name),” as you put the doll back in its place.
8.As soon as you have put the doll down, run back to the hiding place and hide.
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How To Finish It:
1. Pour half the cup of salt water into your mouth (don’t drink it; keep it there)*4 and get out of the hiding place and start looking for the doll. The doll is not necessarily in the bathroom. Whatever happens don’t spit out the salt water.
2. When you find the doll, pour the rest of the salt water which is left in the cup over it, and then spray the salt water in your mouth over it as well.
3. Say “I win,” three times.
This supposed to end the ritual.
After this make sure you dry the doll, burn and discard it later.
MOST IMPORTANTPlease don’t stop this ritual halfway. You must do it through to the end.This is a dangerous ritual and I will not be responsible for what happens to you if you try.——————————————————————-
Other things to keep in mind:+Don’t go out of the house until you have done the finishing ritual.
+You must turn off all lights.
+Keep quiet while hiding.
+You don’t need to put the salt water in your mouth all the time. You only need to do it during the finishing ritual.
+Remember, if you are living with someone you might put them in danger too.
+Don’t continue this ritual for more than one or two hours.
+For safety reasons, it might be best to keep all the doors in the house unlocked (including your front door) and have some friends close by so that they can come and help you at a moment’s noice, if you ever need them. Keeping a mobile close at hand would be a good idea too.
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NOTES:
*1 - the rice represents innards and also has the role of attracting spirits.
*2 - the crimson thread represents a blood vessel. It seals the spirit(s) up inside the doll.
*3 - by cutting the thread off, you break the seal and release the spirit(s) you have trapped.
*4 - if you go out of the hiding place without salt water, you might encounter “something wandering around” in your house which might harm you in some way. Apparently the way to feel the presence of the “something wandering around” is to watch “what happens to the TV.”

Mandy the Haunted Doll

Mandy the Haunted Doll lives at the Quesnel Museum, which is located on the Old Cariboo Gold Rush Trail in British Columbia. There she is just one of over thirty thousand artifacts on display for the public, but there is little doubt that she is the most unique.

Mandy was donated to the museum in 1991. At that time her clothing was dirty, her body was ripped and her head was full of cracks. At that time she was estimated to be over ninety years old. The saying around the museum is, “She may seem like an ordinary antique doll, but she is much more than that.”

The woman who donated Mandy, also called Mereanda, told the museum curator that she would wake up in the middle of the night hearing a baby crying from the basement. When she investigated, she would find a window near the doll open where it had previously been closed and the curtains blowing in the breeze. The donor later told the curator that after the doll was given to the museum, she was no longer disturbed by the sounds of a baby crying in the night.

Some say Mandy has unusual powers. Many speculate that the doll has acquired these powers over the years, but since little is known of the doll’s history nothing can be said for certain. What is certain is the unusual effect she seems to have on everyone around her.

As soon as Mandy arrived at the museum, staff and volunteers began to have weird and unexplainable experiences. Lunches would disappear from the refrigerator and later be found tucked away in a drawer; footsteps were heard when no one was around; pens, books, photos and many other small items would go missing – some were never found and some turned up later. The staff passed these events off as absent-mindedness, but this did not account for everything.

Mandy did not have a permanent “home” inside the museum when she first arrived. She was placed in the museum entrance way, facing the public, and visitors would stare and talk about the doll with the cracked and broken face and sinister smile. Eventually, Mandy was moved to another part of the museum where she was carefully placed alone in a display case because museum staff had been told that she should not be placed with other dolls because she would harm them.

Since her permanent placement there have been many stories about encounters with the haunted doll. One visitor was videotaping Mandy only to have the camera light go on and off every 5 seconds. When the visitor’s camera was turned on another exhibit, it functioned just fine. (It is interesting to note that the same thing often happens when visitors try to photograph Robert the Doll in his Key West museum home.)

Some visitors are very disturbed by the doll’s eyes, which they say appear to follow them around the room. Others claim to have seen the doll actually blink, and still others say they have seen the doll in one position and minutes later she will appear to have moved.

Although they’re used to it by now, museum staff and volunteers still prefer not to be the last one working or locking up the museum at the end of the day. 

The glass-enclosed funeral monument of Inez Clarke at Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery. 6-year-old Inez Clarke was killed by lightning while on a picnic with her family. Her parents, stunned by the tragic loss, commissioned a life-sized statue of their daughter to be placed over her grave. There are tales of the statue weeping as well as claims of Inez actually moving. It is said, during violent thunderstorms, Inez vanishes from her glass box and roams around the cemetery until the storm is over.

Robert the Doll

He sits under lock and key in a glass case located in the basement of a museum in Key West, Florida. At first glance Robert may seem like a harmless children’s doll. But looks can be deceiving, because Robert is the most haunted doll in the world.

In 1897, a family named Otto lived in a nearby house in Key West. They owned a plantation and had a lot of servants working for them who they treated very badly. One servant girl gave their son, Gene, a present of a doll. What the Ottos didn’t realise was that this servant girl knew voodoo.

Gene’s full name was Robert Eugene Otto. His parents had always called him “Gene”, so he decided to give the doll his real name, “Robert”.

Many strange things began to occur in the Otto household. Many neighbors claimed to see Robert move about from window to window, when the family were out. Gene began to blame Robert for mishaps that would occur. The Otto’s claimed to hear the doll giggle, and swear they caught glimpses of the doll running about the house.

Gene began to have nightmares and scream out in the night, when his parents would enter the room, they would find furniture over turned, their child in a fright, and Robert at the foot of the bed, with his glaring gaze! “Robert Did It”…. The doll was eventually put up into the attic. Where he resided for many years.

But Robert had other plans. Visitors that entered the house could hear something walking back and forth in the attic, and strange giggling sounds. Guests no longer wanted to visit the Otto home.

Gene Otto died in 1972.The home was sold to a new family, and the tale of Robert had died down…

But Robert waited patiently up in the attic to be discovered, once again. The 10 year old daughter of the new owners was quick to find Robert in the attic. It was not long before Robert unleashed his displeasure on the child… The little girl claiming that the doll tortured her, and made her life a hell.. Even after more than thirty years later, she steadfastly claims that ” the doll was alive and wanted to kill her.”

Robert, still dressed in his white sailor’s suit and clutching his stuffed lion, lives quite comfortably, though well guarded, at the Key West Martello Museum. Employs at the museum continue to give accounts of Robert being up to his old tricks still today…

 

Amityville horror.

The first time that picture was shown was on the Merv Griffin show back in 1979. It was discovered 3 years after it was taken. Gene Campbell, who was a professional photographer, was brought into the house in 1976 when the Warrens went in with their team. He set up an automatic camera on the 2nd floor landing that shot off infrared film, black and white, throughout the night. There are literally rolls of film with nothing on them. There’s only one picture of the little boy.

The Cotard delusion is a rare psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that he or she is dead, does not exist, is putrefying or has lost their blood or internal organs. Rarely, it can include delusions of immortality.

One case study said the following:

“[The patient’s] symptoms occurred in the context of more general feelings of unreality and being dead. In January, 1990, after his discharge from hospital in Edinburgh, his mother took him to South Africa. He was convinced that he had been taken to hell (which was confirmed by the heat), and that he had died of septicaemia (which had been a risk early in his recovery), or perhaps from AIDS (he had read a story in The Scotsman about someone with AIDS who died from septicaemia), or from an overdose of a yellow fever injection. He thought he had “borrowed my mother’s spirit to show me round hell”, and that he was asleep in Scotland.”

It is named after Jules Cotard, a French neurologist who first described the condition, which he called “le délire de négation” (“negation delirium”), in a lecture in Paris in 1880.