B.C.G.H.R.S. Editorials & Articles
It's a Paranormal World
By Penny Dobson -PSICAN investigator
Skeptics all around this world are putting up a great fight with investigators on the paranormal front, but the investigators are gaining a huge lead. There are many cases turning up around the world that have been well documented, it is almost hard to ignore the reality that is right in front of our eyes. There are so many types of phenomena that is not easy to disregard the existence of the paranormal and turn your head in skepticism.
Poltergeists tend to be the most popular type of spirit. They are the loudest of the bunch. They rap, knock, walk up and down your hallway, and have even been known to levitate a bed or two. The name alone is a word that derives from the German language, which means knocking ghost. “Poltern,” means to knock and “geist,” means ghost. These raucous specters are making noises as if to say, “I AM HERE!” They cause quite the scene and have even been known to send some homeowners packing.
Poltergeist manifestations are also sometimes directed towards one person and will happen only when that individual is around. It is said that this phenomena is not a haunting at all, but a telekinetic energy given off by the person it is centered around. There are no angry spirits, no serious specters, but an individual who does not realize the power they hold within themselves. As it stands, most poltergeists are blamed on the spiritual side of things. They need you to know that they are there and some may want help, or may just want you to get out of that house.
There is one special poltergeist case that has been highly documented and is probably the most popular story in the paranormal world. This is the case of “The Bell Witch” in Adams Station, Tennessee. It is said that the spirit of a vengeful ghost named Kate Batts haunted the Bell family for many years. While still with the living, she was cheated out of her land by John Bell, the patriarch of the Bell family. She swore revenge on him until the day he died, and she meant it literally. After her passing, the family found themselves living in a very noisy, angry environment from this ghoulish woman. She kept her promise and the family suffered for it. She tormented them until one day, the father, John Bell, suffered a massive heart attack from the stress she exacted on them, and he died. It was also said, that at the funeral, you could her cackling and singing away as if she won the battle. Her promise was kept and after his death, the family lived in peace. This is the only death attributed to a spirit, as there have been no other documented cases with a death that was directly linked to a haunting.
Residual hauntings are also a very popular type of manifestation. The only thing about a residual haunting is that in most cases, there is not an actual spirit or ghost involved whatsoever. A residual haunting usually occurs after a traumatic event or death and the experience becomes imbedded into that fabric of time. Usually immense emotion is attributed to these hauntings, and can be a death or an event, whether it is happy or unhappy. It is as if the event is implanted into that time and is replayed over and over again until the energy eventually dissipates. Some occur on the exact date and time each year that the event occurred and some occur when weather conditions, moon positions and circumstances surrounding the event are exact to the event. If a person is lucky enough to be around during these times, they will see a recording of the occurrence being played back to them.
Anne Boleyn would have to be the most popular residual haunting to date. The second wife of King Henry VIII was sent to the block to be beheaded on May 19, 1536 for failing to give the king a son. It is said that her soul is stuck in the fabric of time and she repeats that long carriage ride to the gallows. She is seen on the anniversary of her death, every year, riding in a carriage with a headless coachman who is controlling his headless horses up the long ride towards her old residence. This is repeated year after year and has been sighted by many witnesses who swear what they saw was real.
Another fascinating haunting would be the crisis apparition. These apparitions appear as a figure or a disembodied voice from a loved one or person who may not be anywhere near the person they are appearing to. They often emerge while experiencing a traumatic crisis, as a death or a severe accident. They typically appear to request help from the individual they materialize to. Some crisis apparitions have crossed the world to ask their loved ones for help. They show up at the exact moment of their crisis and if they happen to live through the event, do not remember their visitation afar. This is not usually attributed to a ghostly haunting but scary nonetheless.
A crisis apparition can also be the manifestation of a warning to another individual to stop impending trouble. They usually appear to help the individual before an accident or serious trouble that can even include death. This phenomenon is not a haunting, but is the externalization of unconsciously received telepathic impressions. These are not dire warnings from the spirit world, but help from the living. There have also been situations where people have seen apparitions of their own self. These are said to be a horrible omen to the person and usually ends in death to that person or someone very close to them, whom they love.
The story of Mrs. Helen Crane is an interesting case that was documented in 1951. While doing housework one day, one of her close friends, who did not live nearby, appeared to Helen and warned her that something was about to happen to the baby. She needed to check on the baby right away. Helen ran and looked for the child and found her in front of an open drawer of very sharp knives with her hand about to grab one. She caught her in the right moment and stopped the incident in its tracks. She looked up to thank her friend but her friend was not there. She had seemed to disappear into thin air. When Helen called the friend later, she knew nothing about the incident and could not remember a thing about being inside Helen’s house.
With as many documented cases of hauntings in this world, you would think that people would be less skeptical. There are many people still in this world that need to see it to believe it and won’t put a little faith behind their theories. There are also many people who like to open their options and put a little belief behind their ideals. The paranormal is becoming more accepted in this world and people are accepting it as reality. The media is also catching on to the new wave of paranormal believers with television shows such as “Medium” and “The Ghost Whisperer.” Hopefully society will become more open to the spiritual world and brush the skepticism to the side as time goes by because we all need something to believe in.
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