Famous Ghost Hoaxes

Some ghost stories are believed to be true until they are officially debunked. Watch this About.com video to learn how famous ghost hoaxes were finally revealed.

Everyone loves a good ghostly image, but if it’s a work of trickery, not of the hereafter, then let’s say so.  Hello. I'm Thea Lewis of Queen City Ghostwalk for About.com, and today I'm going to tell you about famous ghost hoaxes. 

Ghost Legends Debunked

Of the great volume of vaporous images pored over every year by apparition aficionados, three of the most famous have blessedly been debunked. The notorious Wem ghost, an image of a little girl surrounded by flame, was, sadly, no more than a clever fake.

Experts conclude the Amityville Ghost is likely a member of a paranormal team who investigated the famous home. The ghost of Jim Morrison turned out to be nothing more than a projected image, engineered by someone intent on creating a publicity stunt.  

Ghost Hoaxes Used for Press Coverage

When you want a high-end ghost hoax, sometimes money is no object. The "Raffles Place Ghost", a video that shows two men being followed out of an elevator by the apparition of an old woman cost the HR and Consulting firm that commissioned it $100,000 to make. Then it went viral, causing something else to materialize: Millions in free PR.

Watch the About.com video here

Switzerland's Answer To The Loch Ness Monster

A SINISTER figure has reportedly been caught on camera lurking in the woods in western Switzerland.

Dressed in a military uniform with a gas mask covering his face, the figure, known as 'Le Loyon', is said to have been haunting the woods for the past decade. He apparently walks the same route every day.

However, there was no evidence of his existence until local news website Le Matin published the first known photograph of the mystery man last month, and now police are trying to track him down. But is it for real?

"I came across him near the marches," an unnamed amateur photographer who tracked him down told Le Matin. "I approached him up to a dozen metres away.

"He had a military cape, boots and an army gas mark - an antique type, I think. He measured more than 1.9m. He stared at me then turned his back on me and left in silence."

Other locals have also told of their frightening encounters with the man.

"It scared my children," a woman said. "He came out of the woods with his military clothes. We saw neither his face nor his eyes behind his big dark gas mask. It was scary and I know women who are venturing alone in the forest."

Another local resident, Marianne Descloux of Maules, said she also saw him: "It was a rainy Sunday. He had on a cap, a dark cloak and gas mask. What goes on in his head? I don't know. It was unpleasant. I hope I never run into him again."

The figure was also reportedly spotted clutching what appeared to be a bunch of flowers.

"Families simply won't go into the forest any more," a farmer said.

Police want to speak to Le Loyon to ask him to be less threatening, although he's shown no signs of aggressive behaviour.

Such is the hysteria, that he has been called 'Switzerland's answer to the Loch Ness monster'.

"The situation is delicate because we basically have nothing against this person," Guy Savary, the municipal official in charge of forests, said.

"But since he arouses these fears, we are going to hold meeting to see if we can find a way of locating him, and discouraging him from behaving as he does."

Some believe he could be suffering from a nasty skin condition, is mentally ill or a hermit.

So what do you think, is it a hoax?

Ryan Buell. The man, The Fight & The Paranormal

Ryan Buell never intended to be in front of a camera. “It was the last thing on my mind.”, he says.

Anyone who has seen the ground breaking show “Paranormal State” knows that Ryan experienced very frightening paranormal activity as a child. To this day, Ryan has never given out the full details of what happened to him. He has revealed what is he felt was appropriate at different times. Becauase of the activity and the fear it caused him, he became interested in finding the answers to what he had been through. What was it? He studied the paranormal as much as he could. When he went to college he formed a paranormal research team called the Paranormal Research Society, PRS. Because of his own experience, Ryan was sympathetic to the things that clients reported. PRS took on cases where help was needed with what appeared to be paranormal or even demonic activity. PRS began as a group of students on campus with a thirst for the truth and the determination to help those needed it. Ryan was approached to bring PRS to television, but that decision took 3-4 years to make. Paranormal State went on to become one of the most popular television shows in the paranormal genre. The show ended production in 2011, having filmed 83 episodes. The show remains a favourite of many in reruns today.

All the while Ryan was in school and after graduation, he continued to search for answers to the questions of the paranormal. With Bachelor degrees on journalism and anthropology from Penn State University, he served as Co-Executive Producer for “Paranormal State” and for “The Ghost Prophecies”, of which he is also the co-creator. He directed episodes of Paranormal State and was also the Executive Producer of the feature film American Ghost Hunter, which was released in 2010. Ryan wrote and published his memoir, “Paranormal State: My Journey into the Unknown” that year. In his book, he revealed to the world that he was bi-sexual and talked openly about his struggle to reconcile his sexual orientation with his Catholic faith.

In 2012, at the age of 30, the busy world of Ryan Buell came to a stop when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Such a diagnosis would cause many to stop what they are doing and prepare for the worst. Even worse, at an age where most people are just beginning to figure out what they want to do in life, here was a terrifying diagnosis. In Ryan’s case, it slowed him down, but he has not stopped moving forward. After taking time to seek treatment for his illness, Ryan is making plans for the future. And that future looks amazing.

Ryan had not done a paranormal radio show interview for over a year since he announced his illness. He talked to Anthony Agate and Luci Leibfried on the Blogtalk radio show Paranormal Review Radio in an exclusive interview on September 6th, 2013. “I was actually extraordinarily nervous about doing this interview.” After being reminded he has done a lot of interviews. “Things are different, I've become a hermit. I really have not been involved in much at all.” Ryan admits he has been doing some soul searching. “When I was investigating the paranormal, we were trying to answer questions about what happens to us when we die, but now here I was and still am, now making peace with the fact that I may very well die.” “When it first happened, we didn't know if I was going to live past 6 months. I was very sick. A lot of what I had to go through was, trying to make peace with death. And of course this happened right as I was at the end of my twenties. We all have one guarantee in life, we die, but no one really expects it and this, in a lot of ways is a slow on. It’s a slow death. You battle and fight as hard as you can and if you’re lucky you make it out and some, they do. Granted there is no defeat in death, but a lot of the battle is psychological. I’m able to do things now that I haven’t been able to do for a while.”

Ryan admits that he is becomes tired easily now. He is making improvement, but he says “Anyone who knows me, knows, that is not me.” He has good days and bad. He knows it may be years before anyone knows how much he can improve. Ryan was angry for a while, but says “Of course it has affected my life. After a while you start to look at it, I can’t control what happened, but I can be thankful for what I am doing now.”

So what is this amazing human being planning? A return to television among other things. Fans of Paranormal State will be happy to know that the show will be returning. Some of the team will return, but expect to see some new faces. Ryan shared his thoughts on who he is, what his life's work is and where he wants to go in the future, during the interview. Throughout his journey, he states that he has felt lonely, feeling like he had to hold it all in. He talks about his detractors, but admits by being public, they will always be there.

In spite of the cards he has been dealt, Ryan Buell is and a shining example of determination and courage in a world where heroes are hard to come by. Illness is my have slowed him down, but he certainly is not going to stop doing what he loves. He shows no signs of giving into his illness. And that is a beautiful thing to see.

To see what Ryan is planning and to get updates on his progress, you can go to ....

ParanromalResearchSociety.org

 

and you can hear the full interview with Paranormal Review Radio on.... 

Blogtalkradio.com/paranormalreview

A Paranormal State playlist will soon be available here

Playing With The Devil – Paranormal Podcast

Imagine being part of a teenage rock band that attracted the attention of a dark entity?  Marcus F. Griffin doesn’t have to imagine, he lived it and he tells us about it on this edition of The Paranormal Podcast!



Listen to the podcast by clicking here

Don’t Believe These Top 3 Myths About Haunted Houses

We all have a certain image in our mind when someone mentions haunted houses. We picture large, dilapidated homes with paint peeling and porches rotting away. We imagine there must be footsteps on the stairway and rapping from inside the walls, screeching up in the attic, and all of this takes place in the middle of the night. But the simple truth is this: Any house can be haunted, any hour of the day or night. Maybe even yours.

Hauntings In Old Homes vs. New Homes

While it’s true that hauntings seem to occur most often in older homes, it’s only because those homes have been around long enough for some type of tragedy to have occurred. And if not the house itself, then the property upon which it stands. Perhaps, long ago, the land the house now sits on was the site of a major battle. Perhaps, long ago, someone inside the home passed quietly away and left some unfinished business.

Conversely, many people just assume every old home is haunted because, if the home is 100 years old, there’s a good chance someone has died in it at some point during its existence. And if someone dies in a home, surely their spirit sticks around to haunt the place. If that were the case, given the number of old houses scattered throughout the world, the netherworld must be very crowded, indeed.

It’s quite possible for a new house to be haunted. It may have been built on the site of a tragedy. Someone who worked on constructing the house may have died from a tragic accident. Or maybe the ghost moved in, right along with the new owners, following them from their previous abode.

So never assume that only old, run-down houses are haunted and never assume you’re safe from hauntings simply because you’ve moved into a new house.

Ghosts Only Come Out At Night

It’s always nighttime when the ghosts come out to play in the horror movies, and when you watch those paranormal investigators on TV they always wait until midnight to set up their equipment. But ghosts “live” on a different plane of existence. To them, Time has no meaning and they certainly don’t punch a time clock.

If there’s a ghost in your house at midnight you can rest assured – or maybe you can’t – that he’ll be there in the morning and in the afternoon, too. During the daylight hours, though, you’re busy. You’re at work, you’re running errands, you’re cooking or cleaning or watching TV. There’s activity and noise in the house that covers up those ghostly creeks and groans so you don’t notice. You’re bustling around and you don’t notice those cold spots when you pass through them on your way to the den.

But then the lights go out and everyone settles down for the evening. That’s when you notice the chill. That’s when you hear the creak on the step. And that’s why you think you’re safe in your house during the day. Because the ghosts only come out at night, right?

Haunted Houses Can Be “Cleared”

Remember the scene in “Poltergeist” where Tangina said, “This house is cleeeeeaaan.” Well, it wasn’t, was it? The poltergeist was still there. In fact, it followed the family to their new home in the sequal.

It’s true that some ghosts just need someone to help them find their way to the next world, and if this is the type of ghost who’s haunting your home you’re lucky. Help him find his way and you’ll be rid of him forever.

However, not all ghosts want to be “sent on.” Some want to stay here forever – or at least until they’ve exacted their revenge. There is no magical formula that forces a ghost to move on, no incantation or spell, and a ghost certainly isn’t afraid of the smell of burning sage.

If you have a stubborn ghost in your house then maybe it’s time to change your address. After all, he was there first. And, like you, he’ll leave when he’s darn good and ready.

Poltergeist Curse: Fact or Urban Legend?

Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist trilogy is arguably the scariest set of ghosty-ghoulie movies ever made, but does the terror exist just in the movies, or were the actors cursed in real life, too? Depending upon who you ask, the rumour is real. Let’s take a look at some of the facts to see if the rumour holds as much water as the swimming pool in the famous scene that is at the root of the problem.

The curse basically states that after each of the three movies, one of the child actors died an untimely death and the rest of the cast were cursed. Supposedly, one of the children was murdered, one died in a car accident and one died of a mysterious disease. It’s true that there were some unexplained or unfortunate deaths but they didn’t happen like the rumour says.

One of the main factors that brought about the curse, in theory, was the fact that in that swimming pool scene, real human cadavers were used because they were cheaper than using plastic. This part of the rumour is true.
All told, eight of the crew has died, but several of them were of an age where disease and death aren’t entirely uncommon.

Dominique Dunne

Shortly after the initial Poltergeist was released in 1983, 22-year-old Dominique Dunne was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend whom she had broken up with a few weeks prior. He attempted to choke her to death and left her for dead in the driveway. She was taken to the hospital but never recovered from the coma and died five days later. Ms Dunne had played the role of Dana Freeling.

Heather O’Rourke

The girl that played Carol Ann, the little “They’re baaa-ack” girl in front of the TV, died during the filming of the third film, near the end of production. Originally diagnosed with the flu, doctors changed that diagnosis to septic shock caused by bacterial toxins in her blood. She was 12. For the remainder of the movie, a stunt double was used and they avoided face shots.

Julian Beck

Mr. Beck played Kane in Poltergeist II The Other Side. He died of stomach cancer.

Beatrice Straight

She played Dr. Lesh in the first movie and died of pneumonia.

Will Sampson

AKA Taylor the Medicine Man in the third movie, Mr. Sampson died of post-operative kidney failure and complications derived from malnutrition.

Geraldine Fitzgeral

She played grandma Jess in the second Poltergeist movie and passed away from symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

There were other unfortunate incidents as well, but no more deaths.

Oliver Robbins

Mr. Robbins played Robbie Freeling and was nearly choked to death by the clown in the bedroom scene the clown malfunctioned during shooting and the other actors on set just thought that he was doing an amazing acting job. He nearly died before somebody noticed he was turning blue and rescued him.

There were other strange happenings during and following shooting of the movies, including:

JoBeth Williams, aka Dianne Freeling, reported that every day during shooting, she would come back to her trailer to find her pictures askew.
Zelda Rubenstein, aka the psychic Tangina reports that during shooting she felt a hard shock then when they replayed the film, there was a bright shining white light that obstructed view of her face.
The Freeling House where the movie was filmed in part was damaged in the 1994 earthquake.

These are just a few of the examples of odd happenings. As you can see, odd things did certainly happen, but whether or not they were actually related to the movie can be debated until the cows come home and a true decision will never be agreed upon. It’s probably best to just use your imagination and your head to decide for yourself.