The Accidental Ghost Hunter

Queen Mary Ghosts

2012-02-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

Today's post is courtesy of guest blogger, fellow author and accidental ghost hunter David Lee Summers. Thanks David for contributing.

GM

***

These photos are from a ghost tour my daughter and I took during Her Royal Majesty's Steampunk Symposium held aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach California on Friday, January 13, 2012. The strangest incident that happened was when we went to the first class swimming pool aboard the ship. It's a noted "hot spot" for ghost sightings. The first photo shows the pool. Off the upper balcony, we went into the women's dressing rooms. I snapped a photo of the corridor.

When I took the photo, I thought I saw a person in the flash and indeed, there is a strange, almost human-shaped shadow in the photo. I assumed it was one of my fellow tourists, but when I walked up the hallway, I didn't pass anyone or see any other people ahead of me in the corridor or the dressing rooms. I did get a serious case of the willies as I walked further down the hall and the hairs raised on the back of my neck.

When I downloaded the photo onto my computer, I assumed the shadow I captured was some strange trick of the light. However, I then did a simple brightness/contrast adjustment and adjusted the color curves a little in Adobe Photoshop and the image below popped out. I should note, the hallway was completely dark. The only illumination came from my flash. If this was a fellow tourist, they were standing in the dark with this apparently non-nonchalant pose. They had no flashlight and the flash didn't seem to illuminate them.

Another place that felt very eerie to me was the old boiler room. The top photo was taken just outside the boiler room. Inside, the boiler room, I took several photos. I kept feeling like I was seeing something move outside the corner of my eye. The one thing that I may have captured is the green glow in the lower left hand corner of the bottom photo.

I'm a professional astronomer and writer. I'm also an admitted skeptic. I'm hard pressed to say these photos serve as hard evidence of ghost encounters. Despite that, these photos do raise questions for me—especially the one taken in the dressing rooms.

For anyone who would like to read more about Her Royal Majesty's Steampunk Symposium, I posted a guest blog about the event at: http://darkcargo.com/2012/01/22/her-royal-majestys-steampunk-symposium-2012/

My regular blog is at: http://davidleesummers.wordpress.com

Thanks, Gayle, for letting me share my ghost tour experience!

Thanks for the Memories

2011-01-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

They say that nothing lasts forever, and the time has come to put this blog to bed. As you all have undoubtedly noticed, I was only able to make four posts in 2010.

It is an unfortunate fact that the economy has been sour for the past several years, and that as a result I simply no longer have the means to travel to historical sites. I'm also reading reports that the popularity of paranormal reality TV shows is beginning to wane as well. While I think there will always be an interest in the paranormal and the afterlife, I too have noticed no new programs about ghost hunting or the paranormal taking to the airwaves, and that some, like Ghost Lab, and Most Haunted, are apparently no longer on the air. At least for now.

I would like to thank all of you readers who took the time to post comments and who decided to become blog followers. I especially want to thank Cindy Smith, Rick Fritz, Thomas Carter and others who shared their photos and their stories of their own accidental ghost encounters.

I will be leaving this blog up as long as there is an interest, but this will probably be the final post. Please feel free to browse the archives as they do contain some interesting stories and information. Once again I would like to remind you that all material presented on this blog, including text and photos, are copyrighted. No portion may be reproduced or copied, in whole or in part, without written consent.

Thank you again, and goodbye, for now.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Ghost Stories

2010-11-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Ghost Stories now follows Ghost Adventurers on Friday nights on The Travel Channel, and it's a perfect fit.

Ghost Stories has a similar format to Bio TV's Ghostly Encounters. Both are dramatic recreations based on anecdotal evidence, and both include interviews with real people who've allegedly had paranormal encounters. However, unlike the somewhat bland Ghostly Encounters, Ghost Stories is fast paced and dramatic, making it a whole lot more fun to watch. The narrator, actor Jay Thomas, bridges the segments together with a well-written script and a delightful storytelling style. This show also includes detailed historical background information of the places and events being discussed, adding depth and making the subject matter more interesting.

What little tangible evidence that may presented to back up any paranormal claims, be it photos, videos or electronic voice phenomena, belongs solely to those making the claims. There are no third parties to examine or determine the validity or authenticity of any evidence, nor does the show host any of its own paranormal investigators. It simply relies on the historical background with paranormal claims and stories, and leaves the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions.

If you're looking for a program to debunk the paranormal you'll have to look elsewhere. But if you're looking for good family-friendly entertainment its' a show worth watching. It's a lot like the ghost stories told around the campfire, and with the historical information it has some educational value to boot.

GM

Why Do Ghost Hunters Only Work in the Dark?

2010-11-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Excellent article on Salon.com called Why real-rife ghost hunters hate "Ghost Hunters." The author brings up a point that I've never quite understood myself, and that is why do all those reality TV ghost hunters always do their hunts overnight?

I've heard some say it's because ghosts are more active at night. Really? Do ghosts punch a time clock? And what about interference from streetlights or car headlights? He also questions how well can anyone observe anything in total darkness. Sure, they're using night vision cameras, but those LCD screens are tiny. And if you recall in a few of the episodes of Ghost Adventures some of their guys have tripped and fallen over furniture in the darkness, and how smart is it really to be walking around inside a completely dark derelict building? It's lucky that so far no one has taken a bad fall and ended up with a serious injury.

Granted, I'm an accidental ghost hunter, so that means all of my encounters either happened during the day or in the early evening. If you click on the "photo" label in the sidebar you'll see an entire collection of photos with all kinds of anomalies, and while I can't speak for any of the guest blogger photos, I can tell you that none of mine were taken any later than about 8 o'clock at night.

Another point of observation is to listen to the claimant testimonials on Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures. The typical story goes something like this: "I'd just locked up the museum for the night and I was the last one to leave. I was about to get in my car when I looked up and saw the lady in the Victorian dress standing at the window." Almost without exception their encounters are happening either during the day or in the early evening hours. So why is it necessary for all the TV ghost hunters to do their work between midnight at 5 am? Is it to make their shows more dramatic?

The rest of the article is a very interesting read, which I would highly recommend. I would have to agree with the author that there are some fakers out there, and well as some television shows in which the hunters do sloppy work. Take Most Haunted. They don't even do EVP sessions. Instead they rely on psychics and Ouija boards, and as far as they're concerned every little particle of dust that the camera picks up is an orb and therefore evidence of ghostly activity. Yeah, right. I can't help but wonder if some of the people on some of these TV shows are perhaps more interested in showmanship and doing whatever it takes to get the ratings up than in conducting serious paranormal research. But at the same time they are bringing the discussion about ghosts and the paranormal into the mainstream. People who have had strange experiences that they can't explain, or that they have been badly frightened by, are now more able to open up and talk about it because they are realizing that they are not alone and that they're not "crazy." And that's a good thing.

There will come a time when shows like Most Haunted, Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures will have run their course and, if you'll pardon the pun, fade away. Then perhaps the more serious paranormal research can begin again.

My thought for the day.

GM

Is This an Orb? No.

2010-10-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, the Accidental Ghost Hunter is alive and well, but the economic reality of the times has sharply curtailed my travel budget, so I'm not traveling historic places as often as I once was.

That said, last weekend I had a book signing at an event at a historic place in southern Arizona called Empire Ranch. It's an old cattle ranch dating back to the 1860s, currently undergoing restoration and is now being used for educational purposes. I'm not aware of anything sinister in it's history, nor did I get any kind of a creepy feeling while I was there. If anything, it felt like a happy, positive place. About the only scary thing I encountered was having to deal with porta-potties.

I did however, get one anomaly that, to an untrained or overly excited eye, might be mistaken for an orb. However it is not. It's simply a reflection of the lens that is a result of the angle of the early morning sun in relation to where I was standing. That's why orbs are a controversy in the ghost hunting community. Sometimes an orb truly is an indicator of paranormal activity, but oftentimes they are not. That's why those ghost hunters who want to be taken seriously are skeptical of orbs.

Another one debunked.

GM

Book Signing Ghost? Not Exactly

2010-08-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

I spent the past weekend in Tombstone doing a book signing at the annual Vigilante Days event.

I'm now in a new location for my book signings. The owner of Doc Holliday's Emporium, at 6th and Allen Street, invited me to her shop this past June during another event, and she and I hit it off. Doc Holliday's Emporium happens to be right across the street from the famous Birdcage Theater, which, as we all know, is one of the most haunted buildings in America.

A funny thing did happen at that first book signing. The card table I was using suddenly collapsed. That's when the store owner's kids told me that they too have problems with ghosts and poltergeist activity, and they think it's because of the close proximity to the Birdcage. However one has to approach these things with a little bit of skepticism, and the fact that the table had been rickety to begin with, and that customers had been bumping against it for a good part of the day, is the more likely reason why it collapsed. Either way, nothing was damaged and no harm was done. We picked everything up, I resumed my book signing, and no other unusual activity occurred.

This past weekend I decided to bring my camera with me, and as I was reviewing my photos I saw something in the background, on the t-shirt hanging behind my shoulder, that appeared to be a very bright orb.

Orbs are a bit of a controversy. They can be balls of energy that can indicate paranormal activity, and some in the ghost hunting community really glom onto them. Others, including me, understand there can be more to an orb than meets the eye, and that what appears to be a ball of energy can also be a dust particle, or an insect, or a refection. That said, I zoomed in on the orb, and sure enough, it was a reflection. There was a glass panel between me and the window display behind me, and when the photo was taken the flash reflected off the glass.

So I've debunked another one. For now. I'll be back doing another book signing at Doc Holliday's Emporium during Rendezvous of the Gunfighters, this coming Labor Day weekend. I'll try to remember to bring my camera again. You never know.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Ghost Hunters Academy

2009-12-21T06:46:00.000-08:00

When I first saw the previews for this new entry from Ghost Hunters I really thought I was going to hate it. It looked trite. So I tuned in the first episode, not expecting much, and I found myself pleasantly surprised.

This show, more than any of the others in the Ghost Hunters stable, really gives viewers an inside look into just how much time and effort goes into a TAPS investigation, and how vital it is that the team work together. And, as the season progressed, it also gave viewers a chance to observe group dynamics and learn lessons that could be applied to just about every workplace.

Heather was a good example of someone failing to blend in and be a part of the team. Yes, she was very nice, and everyone liked her as a person. But at the start of the very first investigation she announced that she was a medium. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but that is not the TAPS way to do an investigation. Her approach made it difficult for her to work alongside the others. She was too independent so they had to let her go.

Then there was Jane. Pretty girl. She was someone who could possibly do well as an actress or a model, but she was not a team player. And unlike Heather, who was very congenial, Jane was only interested in looking out for number one. She had no problem stabbing others in the back in order to make herself look good, and then she would turn on the tears when Steve or Tango criticized her. Frankly I'm surprised Steve and Tango that didn't kill her. Needless to say, while the all others were invited back, Jane was sent home.

And then there was Susan. She got off to a really rough start and I expected her to be the first person cut. But, instead of finger-pointing and blaming others, she learned from her mistakes, pulled herself together, and made herself into the most improved member of the team. Susan is a real positive role model for everyone. I'm glad that both she, and Karl, made the final cut and will be a part of the Ghost Hunters International team. I look forward to seeing more of them for a long time to come.

GM

Where To Go For Help

2009-08-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

As an accidental ghost hunter people will sometimes ask me where to go for help. Strange and frightening things may be happening in their homes or workplaces and, in some instances, their children may be too afraid to sleep in their own rooms.

Since I'm an accidental ghost hunter I'm not equipped to visit their home and do a professional ghost hunt, but that doesn't mean I can't help.

It's been my observation that The Atlantic Paranormal Society, TAPS for short, is the most professional and helpful service for those who are dealing with this type of disharmony in their homes. These are the folks who do the Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International shows on cable TV. They use state of the art equipment, and they do their best to debunk, or find non-supernatural explanations for what may be causing problems in the home. It is not uncommon for electrical or plumbing issues to make strange noises or cause funny things to happen.

TAPS has affiliate members all over the country. Just visit their website at http://www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com, and click on the 'Family Members" link. Their services are free, and they will do their best to help.

And just so you all know, The Accidental Ghost Hunter is not affiliated with TAPS.

Tucson Depot Orb

2009-08-14T14:43:00.001-07:00

One of my friends and fellow Tombstone Vigilante members, Tom Carter, gave me his permission to post this photo.

A few years ago the Tucson railroad depot underwent a major renovation and Tom took a few pictures of the construction. He was using a 35mm camera, and much to his surprise one of his photos came out with an orb.

Orbs are something of a controversy in the ghost hunting community. Sometimes orbs can be balls of energy which may indicate the presence of paranormal activity. And sometimes orbs can simply be dust or even insects that are in the right place to reflect light back into the lens of the camera.

This site does, however, have an interesting story behind it. In the months after the infamous shoot out on Frement Street in Tombstone, known today as the gunfight at the O.K. corral, enemies of the Earp brothers took their revenge. In two separate attacks both Virgil and Morgan Earp were ambushed. Morgan was killed. Virgil survived but permanently lost the use of his left arm.

In March, 1882, Wyatt Earp, his brother Warren, and their friends accompanied Vigil and his wife, Allie, from the town of Contention to the depot in Tucson where they would be stopping for dinner before continuing on to California. Shortly after Vigil and Allie reboarded the train Wyatt spotted two cowboys, Ike Clanton and Frank Stillwell, laying prone on a nearby flatcar, with shotguns pointed at Virgil and Allie. Wyatt gave chase. Ike Clanton escaped, but Frank Stillwell was gunned down by Wyatt Earp.

Today the Tucson railroad depot is still a working train station. It has a few shops, a restaurant, and it is also the home of the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum. And some folks say it is also haunted by the ghost of Frank Stillwell.

GM

Gettysburg Ghosts

2009-08-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

This post is courtesy of guest blogger Rick Fritz.

"I never intended to be a ghost hunter. I moved to Carlisle Pa, when I took a job at Harrisburg Community College. Carlisle is 27 miles from Gettysburg. My wife befriended a woman who worked in a Civil War dress shop whose husband was a licensed Civil War Battlefield Guide. Anyway my wife kept hearing these fantastic ghost stories and seeing ghost photos. Determined to debunk these stories, we set out on our own to “hunt ghosts”

"The first place we went was an area known as Doc’s Rock. It is just passed the Wheatfield, across the road from the Irish Brigade monument. It was the site of the 1st Field Hospital. There we have heard pigs, volleys of musket fire, and photographed lots of orbs. Like the one in the above photo.

"These orbs were captured over the Wheatfield. Picture taken from Doc’s Rock."

"We then concentrated on Doc’s Rock. In this photo notice how the dark blue orb has moved from the base of the tree!"

"From there we went to Devil’s Den."

"Devil’s Den was very active. Lots of small orbs!"

"And a blue rod that moved!"

Wow! There are some truly amazing photos, Rick. I've not been to Gettysburg myself, but I hear it is a very haunted place. No wonder. During the three day Battle of Gettysburg more Americans were killed than in the entire Vietnam War.

Thank you for sharing.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Ghostly Encounters

2009-08-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Ghostly Encounters is an interesting little show that's been showing on the Biography cable network for the past few years. It comes from Canada, and it's hosted by a very pleasant young man, Lawrence Cho.

Cho stands in what looks like an old, abandoned ball room as he introduces each segment. An allegedly true ghost story is then told by the person or persons who experienced it. Seated in a spotlighted chair on an otherwise empty set they tell their stories as the viewers are shown a dramatic recreation of the events they describe. At the end of the segment Cho sums up and comments on each story. Ghostly Encounters is a half-hour show with two stories covered over each episode.

This show is very entertaining and some of the stories are very interesting. The only problem is they often times can not be verified. Typically there is no evidence presented that could back their stories; no photos, no videos nor EVP recordings. It's just a man or woman telling a story of their own personal ghostly encounter, and it's up to the audience to decide whether or not they're telling the truth.

I enjoy this show. I don't go out of my way to watch it, nor do I think it's as good as another Biography Channel show, Dead Famous. But it's still entertaining, and it's the kind of show your kids can watch without getting scared out of their wits.

Ghostly Encounters airs on weekends. Check with your local provider for times.

GM

Horse and Rider Ghosts?

2009-07-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today's post is courtesy of guest blogger Cindy Smith.

"This is the horse and rider photograph I took at the Stockyards in Fort Worth a couple years ago. It was taken with a digital camera sometime around 8 pm. The man appears to be right in front of me, when he wasn't anywhere to be seen by either myself or my friend who was with me. You can actually see right through the man and the horse, and the horse has no feet. He appears to be floating off the ground.

My friend and I looked all around the arena that night for this rider and horse and he did not exist. There was no one in front of me when I took that picture. I have shown it to others and they say that the Stockyards are very 'haunted'. That maybe this was someone who rode with the rodeo who just didn't want to leave. ????"

This is an amazing photo Cindy. I have seen that fuzzy, blurry distortion show up in other people's photos down in Tombstone. Cindy tells me that so far no one has been able to debunk it.

Thank you for sharing it.

GM

Musical Ghosts?

2009-07-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

I was searching for another file on my hard drive and came across this little oddity...

This photo was taken in Avondale, Arizona, at a Western movie studio. A small, privately owned filmed studio, which, so far as I know, has never been open to the public. It's used mostly by small, independent film makers.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Avondale is a small suburban community southwest of Phoenix. When I was growing up in Phoenix the town of Avondale was a nothing more than little farming community out in the sticks. I don't recall hearing stories of any violent crimes happening out there. Maybe a car crash or a farming accident, and that was about it. Avondale was just citrus orchards and dairy farms. But like most everything else in the Valley today it is now surrounded by the big city.

About 18 months or so ago I was invited to sign my books at an Old West event at the movie studio. I brought my trusty 35mm camera with me, as I always did. As usual, the roll of film came back normal, except for this shot I took of one of the bands performing. There is a strange white mist surrounding one of the band members. It almost looks like a super-sized orb. It very well could just be a trick of light--perhaps a reflection of the dust in the air. Many times that's what an orb is, and this particular location was a very dusty place. So far as I know it's not a haunted site. But then again, they say spirits are everywhere.

You be the judge.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Ghost Adventures at the Bird Cage

2009-07-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

Prior to this show airing some of the locals in Tombstone had told me they didn't much care for the three young men on Ghost Adventures, and now that I've seen it I can certainly understand why. If fact, I personally am appalled by their behavior.

The Bird Cage Theater is a museum. It houses priceless historical artifacts. I personally know the staff at the Bird Cage, and I simply can not believe that they would have ever given Zak permission to fire a gun inside the building, even if it was loaded with blanks. By firing that gun he could have easily damaged some of the artifacts, and they are irreplaceable!

Even more appalling was when Zak pointed the gun at himself and dared the spirits to fire it at him. BLANKS CAN KILL!

I am a member of the Tombstone Vigilantes, and Old West reenactment group that performs every other Sunday on Allen Street. We are very safety conscience. With every performance we include a demonstration of how blanks can kill by firing one close range at a beer can. The beer can explodes. So not only could Zak have become the next spirit resident at the Bird Cage himself, the people watching the show at home have now been lead to believe that a gun loaded with blanks is merely a toy. That is inexcusable and unforgivable.

Zak is a prime candidate for a Darwin Award.

GM

Ghost Adventurers at the Bird Cage Theater

2009-06-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

My friends and I are all looking forward to seeing the Ghost Adventurers at the Bird Cage this coming Friday. When they showed the full preview at the end of last week's show it included a nice head shot of my buddy Dean, who works at the Bird Cage. He's a real sweet guy and he was so disappointed when the Ghost Hunters came and his scene ended up not being used. (It is, however, included in the Ghost Hunters DVD.)

Yesterday when I was in Tombstone I asked Dean if he still wants to be buddies with me, now that he's a big TV star. We both laughed, then he told me he didn't know about it--he hadn't seen the preview yet. He just lit up like a Christmas tree and told me next Friday night he's going to a buddy's house, (not mine) to watch the show on Direct TV.

Ghost Adventurers is very entertaining, and they've captured some interesting things, but I keep hoping that TAPS will come back to Tombstone again. I just think their approach is the most professional. They try to debunk first. And only if they can't debunk it will they say it's paranormal.

GM

Relocating Cemetaries

2009-05-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was browsing my local news on-line this morning I came across a rather interesting story from one of the local Phoenix television stations. It seems this Saturday the remains of 61 US Calvary soldiers, stationed in Tucson at Fort Lowell during the mid-1800s, along with some of their family members, are going to be exhumed and reburied in Sierra Vista. All in the name of progress. Seems the military dead, along with other dead, are in the way of a redevelopment project in downtown Tucson. They're going to build a new courthouse on top of the city's first territorial cemetery, and there were over 1800 people buried there. Many of the other graves have already been exhumed and who knows where their remains were dumped. It seems the mentality here is let's just kick out the dead and bulldoze over their graves.

Now mind you the Fort Lowell soldiers will be respectfully escorted to their new resting place and reburied with full military honors, but I still don't think this is right. Cemeteries are a part of our history too. They should be left unmolested and preserved. I'm descended from Druids and those genes must be kicking in, or maybe it's because of all the paranormal things I've experienced myself in Tombstone, but I think it's very, very unwise to ever disturb the dead build anything on top of an old cemetery. And when the weird things start happening in the new court buildings, oh well. I certainly wouldn't want to be working there.

GM

Swamper Ghost - Tombstone, Arizona

2009-03-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

When I wrote Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: Luke and Jenny Visit Tombstone I decided to include the Swamper as one of my characters because local legend has it that he is one of the town ghosts.

The Swamper was a handyman who worked for the Grand Hotel back in the 1880s. And while the Grand Hotel is long gone the adobe facade from the original building still stands, and it is now known as Big Nose Kate's Saloon. Big Nose Kate's is one of the more popular eateries in town, (in fact my characters stop there for lunch in chapter one.) And over the years Big Nose Kate's employees have told me the place is haunted, and they believe the spirit haunting the place is the Swamper.

It was discovered that the Swamper had dug a secret tunnel into the silver mines from his basement room in the Grand Hotel, and legend has it he is still guarding his silver, even today.

You know, there may be a grain of truth to that story. I was in town the other day and ventured into the basement at Big Nose Kate's. Today the basement is a clothing store, (with nice items at good prices,) and, off to the side, is the Swamper's room, set of as a historic exhibit, and no doubt bearing a close resemblance to how it may have looked when the Swamper lived there.

The tunnel is also there. A wall, (which looks like is was later added on), with a barred door keep the room from being accessed by the public.

Being curious I wanted to take a photo for my own use. When I snapped it I looked at my LCD screen and wondered how I managed to get one of the bars in the middle of my shot. I could have sworn I was more careful. It wasn't until later, when I looked at the shot on my computer, that I realized it wasn't one of the bars at all. It is black mist, and, if you look closely, you can see right through it. It appears to be coming up from the tunnel, and there are also a number of orbs in the mist.

I mean the Swamper no disrespect, but it looks like the stories are true. The old boy is still guarding his silver treasure.

GM

How Did I Miss This Orb?

2009-02-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know how this one slipped by...

This photo was taken back in 2006. I was doing a performance of my living history character, "The Tombstone Storyteller," for a YMCA convention in Phoenix, Arizona. The Tombstone Storyteller presentation is a 3rd person narrative that covers many of notable events in the town's history, including the sequence of events leading to, and resulting from, that famous shoot out Fremont Street, later known as "The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral." I do this presentation for schools, associations, convention groups, etc. (In fact it was the enthusiastic feedback I kept getting from school kids that inspired me to write Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: Luke and Jenny Visit Tombstone.)

Anyway... as stated before, orbs are a bit of a controversy in the ghost hunting community. Orbs can simply be energy fields. Or they can be evidence of ghosts or paranormal activity. Or they can be dust or insects. However orbs commonly appear in locations known to be haunted. What is interesting to note is I very rarely get orbs in my photos, and this particular photo was taken with my old 35mm point and shoot.

If you look at the upper corner of the room, over my shoulder and to the right, just below the ceiling, there is one mother of an orb! And, just to the right of it is what appears to be a small cloud of mist.

What is also interesting is the fact that I was in a modern hotel in Phoenix which, in all likelihood, not haunted. However I am doing a presentation about Tombstone, and that speaks for itself. Is this orb a ghost? I couldn't say. But it sure is an interesting coincidence.

GM

More Strange Happenings in the Bird Cage Theater, Tombstone, Arizona

2009-02-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

After spending so much time in Tombstone signing my books and doing my storytelling presentations I'm seriously beginning to wonder if some of the spirit people down there are getting to know me. Whenever I take friends to visit Tombstone I always take them into the Bird Cage, and when I'm down there performing and signing books I always make a point of stopping by and saying hello to the staff. And while we're busy swamping stories and catching up on the latest happenings it's not uncommon to feel a cold spot forming as I'm chatting. Seems that the Bird Cage ghosts are getting a bit nosy.

It seems too that I am getting photo anomalies more and more often in the Bird Cage Theater. One hot spot within the auditorium seems to be the area on the right side of the stage. That's where I've captured bending light beams on many occasions, and in this photo I've got a strange vertical light beam right behind the piano. It is interesting to note that the boards with the light are most likely painted with flat latex enamel. There is no reason for it to reflect my camera flash like that, and if it was my camera flash I should also see it reflect on the piano.

Such is another day in the life of the Bird Cage Theater.

GM

Psychiatrists -- Modern Day Witch Hunters

2009-01-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

The other evening as I was listening to Coast to Coast AM, George Noorey was interviewing psychiatrist Dr. Diane Powell who was discussing her new book, The ESP Enigma. I was absolutely flabbergasted when Dr. Powell stated that being psychic is considered to be a delusional mental illness by the psychiatric community.

This frightens me more than any ghost ever could. It immediately brought to my mind images of the Middle Ages, when anyone who was psychic was considered to be a witch, in league with the devil, and the poor soul was burned alive.

Sadly, it appears this bigotry against psychics carries into the 21st Century, where is has now been stigmatized by the psychiatric community as "mental illness." But instead of witch burning, these modern day witch hunters, i.e. psychiatrists, can simply violate the psychic's civil rights and lock them up in psychiatric hospitals, which are really nothing more than prisons.

This is not to say that there aren't people out there with legitimate mental illnesses who are in genuine need of treatment. However, to label people with psychic abilities, who are able to hold a job, be it doing psychic readings or a "regular" job, who take care of themselves and their families, and who are in no way a danger to themselves or anyone else, as "mentally ill" is nothing more than pure, unadulterated bigotry.

Shame on psychiatrists. They are no better than the religious fanatics in Medieval times who burned anyone alive who did not adhere to their strict, rigid dogma. Those who individuals are psychic have every right to use their God-given gift without being labeled or stigmatized as being, "mentally ill." Those of us who have adopted "New Age" beliefs as our religion of choice, also have every right to believe in our religion of choice, without being labeled or stigmatized as "mentally ill."

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Ghost Adventures

2009-01-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

There's a new kid on the block, or at least in cable TV shows about ghost hunting and the paranormal. It's called Ghost Adventures, and it airs on the Travel Channel just before Most Haunted.

This show is very entertaining and the three young ghost hunters, Zak, Aaron and Nick, have a lot of potential. They travel to known haunts and do their own taping, as opposed to bringing their own sound and camera crew with them. They are also locked in, literally, to the locations they are taping. So far that's only backfired on them once, and that was in their pilot episode when they were locked down into the Goldfield Hotel. They boldly told the spirits that they weren't afraid of them, and they weren't. At least not until they came upon the poltergeist throwing the bricks and lumber across the basement. That's when they totally freaked out and started running and screaming. They later admitted they ended up escaping the hotel by jumping out of the fire escape.

Therein lies my only real criticism of the show. They have a real attitude. Zak in particular is a cocky little s.o.b. who really likes to provoke. He reminds me a lot of Brian from Ghost Hunters, but even at his worst, Brian was never as arrogant as Zak. One of these days he's going to get hurt. He's already been scratched and has been warned by a priest that he is playing with fire. I guess that's the difference between an accidental ghost hunter and someone with a TV show who needs to document activity, by any means possible, to keep the ratings up. I am spiritually aware enough to treat spirits with respect. Since I don't know if the spirits I encounter are good or evil I tread lightly.

I will give Zak credit for using a scientific approach. He and his team use emf meters, do EVP (electronic voice phenomena) work, and try to get as much on camera as they can. They then go to neutral third parties to have the evidence verified.

This show is entertaining, and certainly more credible than Most Haunted. Definitely worth staying home for on Friday nights.

GM

The Star of India

2009-01-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

Not all of my experiences with the paranormal are visual.

Last summer, when I visited San Diego, I brought along a friend who is a sensitive and is able to connect with spirit people. I guess that would make her a medium, but she is also a very religious woman, so she would never conduct a seance.

That said, we had to visit the Star of India. I've visited this wonderful historic ship many times in my life, but it wasn't until recently that I learned the ship is haunted. I do however have a vague memory of being on board the ship when I was about eight years old, feeling someone run their finger down my back, almost like they were playing tick-tac-toe, and turning around and finding no one there. I just remember feeling annoyed at the time. Years later, I've found I'm not the only person whose had this kind of experience on the Star of India.

While I did not capture anything unusual on film my friend "Ginny" decided to have a seat on the deck and see what she could tune into. Soon she told me she had picked up on the spirit of a young boy who had died on the ship after falling from the mast in the 1800s. This is well documented, but she also got some lesser known information. She said the boy's name was Stephen, he was traveling with his family, and he had one sibling. She said he was also upset because the ship had changed since the time he had traveled on it.

When we left the ship we stopped and chatted with one of the Maritime Museum volunteers. Ginny told him what she had picked up about Stephen, and the volunteer was stunned as she described many little known details about him.

It is possible that Ginny could have looked this information up prior to our visit but I highly doubt it. We decided to come to San Diege on the spur of the moment, and as a wife and mother of a two-year-old Ginny just doesn't have that much spare time.

GM

Skeptic or a Believer?

2009-01-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Most of you reading this blog probably think I'm a believer in the paranormal. And you would be right. As I mentioned in my very first post, my father believed in what many now call New Age or Metaphysics, long before Shirley McClain came along and popularized it. He was also an avid reader and read many books about Edgar Cayce and books by Ruth Montgomery, and he shared his books with me. But don't think for a moment that Dad was some eccentric New Age woo-woo. He was actually a very successful businessman and well respected in the community. In fact my dad probably knew The Secret long before Rhonda Byrne came along and wrote her book about it.

But at the same time I'm also a bit of a skeptic. Skepticism isn't about staunchly not believing in something, (that would actually be cynicism). To me, skepticism is simply not necessarily taking things at face value and wanting see some evidence to back it up.

A little bit of skepticism is healthy, whether it be about the paranormal, or the latest miracle product being touted on a late-night infomercial. It's good to question things and to dig a little deeper. That's why I've debunked some of my own photos, and have offered other possible explanations on others, so I can leave you, the reader, to draw your own conclusions.

The one thing I am certain is this: There is far more to this world than what we can perceive with our five senses. I base this knowledge on my own life experiences. Of course, I can't prove that. Some things are simply a matter of faith.

GM

Creepy - But Debunked Part 2

2009-01-03T18:01:00.001-08:00

A few months ago I was able to debunk what appeared to be a clown's head that appeared in one of the photos I had taken in the Bird Cage Theater in Tombstone, Arizona. The time I went back and discovered the "clown" was actually a screen in the wall I did not have my camera with me. So I wondered how this happened.

Well today I went back and took a couple photos of my debunked clown. The closer I was to the screen, the more the "clown" form fell apart. This is a splendid example of "matrixing," or how our brain will assemble shapes into a familiar form.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Most Haunted USA

2009-01-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

The crew from Most Haunted has come to America to visit some of our most famous haunted places in a new variation of their show called Most Haunted USA. And the show is most entertaining. They have visited many locations visited by other production companies, such as Waverly Hills Sanatorium.

One of the things I like about Most Haunted is their historical research. They have always included a professional historian as part of their team. They also use physics which gives the show some more interesting insights. Now I have nothing against psychics. In fact I believe some people have a natural talent to perceive things beyond our five senses the same way others have a natural talent for singing or athletics. However no psychic is ever 100% accurate, and I would like to see more historical research on the things the psychics read during their investigations.

The team also includes parapsychologist Dr. Ciaran O'Keeffe to offer other, less than paranormal, explanations for what the team encounters. O'Keeffe is a dyed in the wool skeptic, if not a cynic, and he is, more often than not, able to write off the team's experiences with the paranormal with more worldly and more plausible explanations. So when O'Keeffe is ends up being impressed or is unable to offer an alternative explanation I'm more inclined to be impressed too.

The real flaw with Most Haunted is their less than scientific approach. They don't do EVP, (electronic voice phenomenon) work, nor I have noticed much work with EMF, (electro magnetic frequency) devices, or other credible tools for documenting an actual haunt. Instead they rely on old parlor tricks, like table tapping, ouiga boards, and seances, which can be easily staged.

Still, if you are looking for pure entertainment, Most Haunted USA is a lot of fun. But if you are looking for a team doing serious paranormal research you probably would be better served with Ghost Hunters.

GM

San Diego Ghosts

2008-12-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

,

As the old year draws to a close we all like to reminisce, and one of the highlights of my year was a road trip to San Diego, California, with a good friend. While we were there enjoying the sun and surf we decided, just for fun, to take a ghost tour. San Diego is a town rich in history with many stories of the paranormal.

One of the places we visited was the Gaslamp Quarter, a historic area near downtown. Inside one of the Victorian homes, now a museum, I got some strange anomalies reflected in a mirror. There appears to be a distorted figure in a green dress, but no one in our group was wearing green. There is also what appears to be a misty face in the mirror as well. Of course, it is possible these could all be just tricks of light. It is, however, interesting to note our tour guides told us that this particular home housed many TB patients during an epidemic in the 1850s, and that many of the patients died there.

This tour ended at the Whaley House, but did not include admission. At the time of our visit the Whaley House was undergoing renovation, so I decided to save it for another visit.

Kudos to the folks at Haunted San Diego Tours. We had a great time.

GM

Tombstone's Swamper Ghost

2008-12-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

If you've read any of my Luke and Jenny books you'll notice that one of my principle characters is always a ghost. Since my books are about two modern day youngsters traveling back in time I needed some sort of a catalyst, and a ghost character fit the bill nicely. And because my first Luke and Jenny book was about Tombstone, a town known to be a hot spot for paranormal activity, how could I not include a ghost?

When I wrote Gunfight at the O.K. Corral I decided to use one of the allegedly real town ghosts, the Swamper, as one of my lead characters. The Swamper was a handyman at the Grand Hotel back in the 1880s. There isn't a whole lot known about him. You must remember that during the 1880s Tombstone was a booming mining town, and people came and went seeking their fortune. What is known about the Swamper is that he was a good worker, and his salary included room and board in the hotel basement. And that's where his story gets interesting. Sometime later, I'm not sure exactly when, it was discovered that the Swamper had dug a tunnel into the floor of his basement room that lead into one of the silver mines. Legend has it he "appropriated" and stashed away a fortune in silver somewhere in that basement that has never been found, and that is why he haunts Tombstone.

I made the Swamper a very benevolent character in my book, sort of like an uncle who takes the two youngsters under his wing and teaches them about history as well as lessons about life in general. And if he really is one of the town spirits I hope he approves.

My books are written for young readers ages 8 to 12, but I've had wonderful feedback from teenagers and adults who have also read and enjoyed them.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Paranormal State

2008-12-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

There are some terrific shows on the ghost hunting and the paranormal out there. There really are. Shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, and Dead Famous. Then there are the not-so-great shows.

I only watched a few episodes of Paranormal State, and that was enough for me. The series was about a group of college students who spent their time ghost hunting. Problem is, this show just didn't resonate with me. The audio distortion of the narration was annoying. It sounded like he was sending it over a long-distance phone call. And many of the scenes looked to me like recreations and dramatizations, not actual footage of a ghost hunt. Were these cases real?

Perhaps I mis-spent my own youth, but when I was in college I spent most of my time studying, writing term papers, and preparing for mid-terms and finals. And what free time I had I spent hanging out with friends and having fun. Maybe campus life is different these days.

GM

Christmas Ghost

2008-12-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

I'm still trying to get the hang of this darn digital camera. I know I'm going to love it once I've figured out all it's idiosyncrasies.

Last night I went to a Christmas party in Tombstone. Brought along a buddy who is a big Ghost Hunters fan but has never been to visit the town. At the party I introduced her to a former Bird Cage employee who was featured on Ghost Hunters when they visited Tombstone a few years back. Then, after the party, I took her over to Allen Street.

Tombstone in the 21st century is a far cry from the Tombstone of the 1880s. Back then, Tombstone was "Vegas, baby!" Today they roll up the sidewalks at 6 o'clock. However they have done a beautiful job of putting up their Christmas lights, so I decided to play around with the camera and see what would happen taking photos at night.

After snapping a few shots I saw something weird on the left side of the LCD screen just as I snapped the photo. It was one of those "Aha!" moments when you know you've captured something unusual. Well, I showed it to my friend, then she starts getting nervous, and I'm having to explain to her that was in considered odd in most places happens everyday in Tombstone. Hey, what can I say? Ethereal mist happens.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Ghost Hunters

2008-12-17T07:10:00.001-08:00

I still think the Cadillac of all the television shows on ghost hunting has the be the original Ghost Hunters. Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson have indeed set the standard. What I like about Jason and Grant is their approach. Their goal, first and foremost, is to debunk. Then, and only then, when they can find no other plausible explanation, will they declare a location as being haunted. And the evidence has to be compelling. There are many instances where they find paranormal activity but stop short of calling it haunted.

Too many times I've seen so-called ghost hunters rush into an allegedly haunted locales, bringing along psychics and/or totally relying on non-scientific methods, such as table taping or ouija boards, and declare a place haunted. Most Haunted is famous for this, but, as I recall, Most Haunted claims that their show is for entertainment purposes only.

I also remember seeing some other show where some woman used an emf meter and declared a place haunted as soon as it spiked. Then later on a skeptic went to the same spot where she had stood and found she was standing right next to an electrical outlet when she got the spike. This is the kind of thing that hurts the credibility of all ghost hunters, and I think Jason and Grant and the TAPS family have done an outstanding job of restoring that credibility.

So whether it's Ghost Hunters, or it's spin-off, Ghost Hunters International, it's a great way to spend a Wednesday night.

GM

Creepy - But Debunked

2008-08-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to get the hang of this new digital camera. Recently I was back in the Bird Cage Theater, and snapped a few photos before I was able to figure how to turn the flash on. Later on, after downloading them on the computer, I noticed something really odd. It appeared to be a really creepy looking clown's face in the background.

The next time I went to Tombstone I showed a copy to the Bird Cage staff. I learned that indeed clowns had performed at the theater back in the 1880s. I also decided to go back into the auditorium and take a closer look at what I had photographed.

Sure enough, I was able to debunk it. The "clown" appeared at a small screened opening to another room. The "hair" was actually a piece of torn brown paper that must have been used to cover the screen at one time. One the other side of the screen was a white table and other items displayed in the adjoining room.

Professional ghost hunters, such as Ghost Hunters Jason and Grant, talk about "matrixing" or our mind's ability to form the shapes we see into familiar objects. In layman's terms, this means that things are often not what they appear, and it is always important to check the facts before coming to any conclusion.

While many of the photos on this blog may defy explanation, this one has been debunked.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Ghost Hunters International

2008-08-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of the original Ghost Hunters, but this spin-off makes the original pale in comparison. (No pun intended.)

Robb Demarest is an effective and down-to-earth leader who doesn't fly off the handle or berate his team members, and the team goes to some pretty amazing places -- castles, manor homes, and opera houses -- the type of places we don't have here in the U.S. Each of the places they investigate have a lot of history, which makes the locales even more interesting. And, unlike the original Ghost Hunters, they seem to be able to document more genuine paranormal activity.

Like the original Ghost Hunters, the premise of their investigations is to debunk. That makes any conclusions of a location being haunted much more credible.

Ghost Hunters International airs on Wednesday nights on the SciFi Channel. It makes Hump-day a lot more interesting.

GM

Whoops It Happened Again

2008-07-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

After much resistance I have finally joined the digital age and have purchased a digital camera. And, just like with my trusty 35mm, I am experiencing oddities on this new digital camera when I visit Tombstone, and particularly in the Bird Cage Theater.

As has happened a couple of times before, I am once again getting the strange bending light phenomena associated with the stage area. When is really strange is that there is a rather large piece of glass on the theater box to the right of the stage, and the bending light beam does not reflect on the glass. Rather it goes right through it, and seems to loop itself around items within the box.

All I can say is this is Tombstone,and the Bird Cage Theater is reportedly one of the most haunted buildings in America. Check you concept of reality at the door.

GM

Tombsone Motors Ghost

2008-01-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

Photography has always been one of my favorite hobbies, and when freinds in Tombstone, Arizona opened up a new business called Tombstone Motors, I couldn't resist taking some photos of their cool replica of a 1930's gas station.

I wanted to take some night photos, which I do using an old-fashioned manual 35mm camera and doing timed exposures. Of course, some of the locals, who are also into photography, warned me that the spirit people might really take the opportunity to mess with my pictures. So I asked them to please refrain, and the mostly did. I shot an entire roll of film and I only had one anomoly show up, and it was on a test shot that I took at sundown. As usual, I got a bending light beam.

All my other ghost photos were taken with my 35mm point and click camera. This photo was taken with my trusy old 35 mm Nikormat that I bought new back in 1978. So those of you who thought all the weird stuff I was getting before was because my camera was somehow broken need to come up with another way of debunking it.

GM

Shadows on the Wall

2008-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken on the same roll of 35mm film as the ones on my 'Ghosts in the Audience' post. Again, it is in the lobby of the Holiday Inn in Tombstone, Arizona. I had finished my storytelling presentation and members of the reenacting group I belonged to decided to pose for some pictures. Again, we have one of those strange green lines that showed up in some, but not all, of the pictures. And while I personally don't see it, others I've shown this photo to swear that the shadows on the wall don't line up correctly, and that there are shadows there that don't match the people in the picture.

I'll leave it for you to decide.

GM

Bird Cage UFO? NOT!

2008-01-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I catch unexplained phenomena on film, and sometimes I don't. Case in point...

A couple years ago my (now ex) husband and I took a day trip down to Tombstone, Arizona. My publisher was working on the cover design for Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: Luke and Jenny Visit Tombstone. She had told me her illustrator wanted some reference photos, so I went down to shoot a roll of film. I walked up and down historic Allen Street and took photos of the various buildings. It was a nice summer day, and nothing out of the ordinary happened.

I got the film developed and showed the pictures to my ex. When he saw the two shots I took of the Bird Cage Theater he got all excited. I had taken the two photos one right after the other, and, in one of the photos, there was a small, silvery-gray dot just to the left of the building. He got all excited, and declared that I had captured a UFO on camera.

Now we all know I've had strange things show up in the photos I take in Tombstone. But this one was so over the top I laughed.

A year or so later I put the CD of my roll of film in my computer. I forget what photo I was looking for, but while I was there I decided to have a closer look at my ex husband's UFO. I zoomed in, and quickly discovered that his UFO was, in fact, a BIRD! A plain, ordinary bird.

I'll reserve comment on my ex husband's intelligence. But it does go to show that not every strange anomaly in a photograph is something paranormal, and, at least this time, I'm able to debunk it.

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Most Haunted

2007-12-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. One of my favorite cable TV shows about the paranormal is the Travel Channel's Most Haunted. While the ghost hunters in this British import are not as scientific in their approach to their investigations as I would like, this show can't be beat for its pure entertainment value. I have to credit that to the hostess, Yvette Fielding, actress turned ghost hunting guide. Yvette has a lot of screen charisma and really pulls the show together as she guides viewers through each week's haunted location.

Over the year's this team has caught a lot of interesting paranormal activity on camera. One of the most spectacular was when cast member Stuart Torevell was physically attacked by a ghost. I've seen this episode several times, and the way he fell backward would have been a very difficult stunt to pull off had it been staged. In fact it's interesting to note that afterward this incident he too developed alopecia, as did Dead Famous co-host Gail Porter.

I would like to see this team use less parlor tricks, like table tapping, and use more emf meters and tape recorders. The team also includes psychics who appear to be pretty accurate in identifying the spirits of real historical people who once inhabited the locales they investigate. And I particularly like psychic David Wells' gentle, down to earth demeanor.

This show airs Friday nights on the Travel Channel, and it's definitely a good excuse to stay home on Friday nights.

More Bending Light Beams in the Bird Cage

2007-12-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

The Bird Cage Theater in Tombstone, Arizona, once again lives up to its reputation as being one of the most haunted buildings in America. I took a photo of the same area I photographed once before and got a bending, splitting light beam. Once again the same phenomena occurred, but this time, instead of what looked like a laser beam, I got what looks like a wide beam of light, still bending around corners. There is also some bending,distorted light beams on the side of the wall as well.

There is a table with a white top backstage directly behind the curtain. I suppose it's possible that the bending light beam could be a reflection. Either way, it's a nice photo of a very interesting historical museum.

GM

A Particularly Scary Accidental Ghostly Encounter

2007-12-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

Most of my experiences as an accidental ghost hunter have been very benign. Many times I'm not even aware that I've had a ghostly encounter until I get my pictures developed. There was, however, one instance when I was very aware, and it was my most frightening experience to date.

This past summer I had gone to Tombstone, Arizona, for a weekend event to do some storytelling and sign my books. Whenever I go down there I usually stay at a motel in the nearby town of Benson, and being a frequent visitor to that part of the state has given me a wonderful opportunity to befriend some of the locals. I always look forward to seeing them whenever I'm there.

I had just gotten settled into my room in Benson when one of my friends called. He had borrowed a friend's convertible and wanted to take me for a ride. I was happy to accept the invitation.

One of the wonderful things about visiting small, rural Arizona communities in the summertime is the chance to do some star gazing. Most of us live in cities, and light pollution makes seeing the stars from our own backyards difficult, if not impossible. I told my friend that's what I wanted to do, and he knew the perfect spot. It was along the side of a road near an old western movie set.

We had just pulled over and shut the engine down. I looked up at the sky and began to marvel at the billions of stars. It was like looking into an ocean of lights! As my mind began to wonder I thought about Star Trek, and wondered if someday we really would explore the stars.

We'd only been there a few minutes when something very unexpected happend. I heard a strange sound. It was the sound of footsteps. Loud, heavy footsteps, and they were coming towards us!

"What's that?" I asked my friend.

"Do you hear it too?" he replied. We looked at each other. My mind started racing with all the urban legend ghost stories I'd heard about the young couple whose car runs out of gas on the back road in the woods... then one of them gets murdered in a grizzly way by some unseen stranger! My friend said something to the effect of let's get the hell out of here. He started up the car and we took off -- fast!!

My friend did a couple of tours of duty in Vietnam, and he is not a man who scares easily, but whatever this was sure scared the bejeepers out of him. We racked our brains trying to figure out what we had heard, but we've never come up for any explanation. The footsteps were too heavy to be human, and he tells me they did not sound like any animal that lives in the area. We can only conclude that whatever it was was inhuman, and not friendly!

GM

The Accidental Ghost Hunter's Review of Dead Famous

2007-12-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

In recent years there has been a plethora of cable television programs about ghosts and the paranormal. While most of them are pretty good, and some are better than others.

One of my favorites was Dead Famous, which aired on Bio in 2005, and is still occasionally shown in reruns. What I liked the most about Dead Famous was its format. Each week they would feature a different dead celebrity, be it Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, or John Lennon, and they would attempt to find, and communicate with, the ghost of the celebrity.

A lot of time was spent telling the story of the celebrity's life which I always found interesting. I also liked the balance and the chemistry between the hosts, psychic Chris Fleming and skeptic Gail Porter. Chris and Gail would take viewers to different haunted locales allegedly frequented by the featured celebrity. For instance, the Dead Famous episode about John Wayne had Chris and Gail visiting Tombstone, Arizona and featured Boot Hill Cemetery and the Bird Cage Theater.

While they would occasionally capture an EVP or a strange event on camera, I'm not convinced they ever actually contacted any celebrity spirit. I believe that spirit communication is a one way street, i.e. they can contact us, but we really can't contact them. Still, the show was interesting, entertaining, and educated its viewers about the paranormal. Gail Porter also taught us a lesson in grace and dignity when she developed alopecia. Rather than try to hide her condition under a wig, Gail showed her bald head to the world without shame. The makes her an admirable woman in my book.

The final episode of Dead Famous had Chris and Gail in Lincoln, New Mexico doing a show on Billy the Kid. They too experienced strange happenings there.

I would love to see Bio bring back this show back. And if Gail Porter is no longer interested in Dead Famous, surely another co-host could be found. In the meantime check Bio for reruns.

An Accidental Ghostly Encounter at the Tunstall Store

2007-11-29T08:47:00.000-08:00

The town of Lincoln, New Mexico has a reputation for being haunted. And after researching the history of the place it's no wonder. In 1878, during the Lincoln County War, the single road that runs through Lincoln became one of the most dangerous streets in the entire county.

Ground Zero in the Lincoln County War had to have been the Tunstall Store. Its very presence ended the economic monopoly held by shopkeepers Lawrence Murphy and Jimmy Dolan. And it was the murder of shop owner and rancher John Tunstall by lawmen loyal to Murphy and Dolan that ignited the Lincoln County War.

The Tunstall Store is now a museum, and today it looks very much the same as it did in the 1870's when Billy the Kid walked the streets of Lincoln. But when I took this photo I had yet another bending light beam appear. It appears that I've had yet another accidental ghostly encounter.

GM

John Tunstall Murder Site

2007-11-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

I took a trip to Lincoln, New Mexico to do some research for my latest book Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War: a Luke and Jenny Adventure. I brought along my trusty 35mm to snap a few research photos for later use. As I was heading down the highway from Ruidoso to Lincoln I stopped at the roadside historic marker indicating the spot where John Henry Tunstall had been murdered.

The brazen 1878 murder of rancher and shop owner John Tunstall by corrupt lawmen, loyal to Tunstall's competitors, Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan, sparked a violent and bitter feud called The Lincoln County War. It ended five months later with the death of attorney Alexander McSween, who tried in vain to seek justice for the murder of his good friend, John Tunstall.

I took these two photos within a minute of each other. They were taken on a clear day with no breeze blowing. The first photo appears normal. But in the second photo is a strange, brown mist. It almost looks like a dust devil, but there is no shadow underneath it. One of my friends swears she can see the top half of Mr. Tunstall's face on the top of the 'cloud.' Perhaps this is just matrixing, or our mind's way of creating familiar shapes. And maybe it's just a coincidence, but the shape of the forehead on this face looks a lot like Mr. Tunstall's.

Either way, it's another accidental ghostly encounter

GM

More Accidental Ghostly Encounters at the Bird Cage Theatre

2007-11-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

The historic Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona once again lives up to its reputation. This time the Accidental Ghost Hunter caught several strange things all in one photo. In the upper left corner there appears to be a misty figure of a woman in historic clothing. Next to her is a strange shape that looks like an arm. Below is a strange red light beam, and another of those strange, bending light beams that appear in to many of the photos I take in Tombstone.

On the corner of the game table, just behind and to the right of the sewing machine, you can see a face. When I showed this photo to the staff at the Bird Cage they recognized it, and said they have seen that same face appear in other photos taken in different places in the building.

And finally, just so you know, that light beam behind the curtain is actually a table sitting back stage.

The Wallace & Ladmo Orb

2007-11-28T07:08:00.000-08:00

In the world of ghost hunting orbs have become a controversy. Some say that the presence of orbs indicates paranormal activity. Others say they can be simply be balls of energy but not necessarily a ghost. And sometimes orbs can be nothing more than dust particles in the air.

For what it's worth I rarely find orbs in my photos. Bending light beams yes, orbs no. But here is one photo with an orb and an interesting story behind it.

The Arizona Historical Society Museum was having a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of The Wallace & Ladmo Show. This Phoenix TV show aired from 1954 to 1989, and I believe it still holds the record for the longest running television show in history. After 'Wallace' retired in 1989 the show's collection of memorabilia was donated to the museum, where it is now on permanent display. By 2004, the time of this tribute, two cast members of the show had passed away - 'Ladmo' and musician Mike Condello.

This photo was taken in the museum auditorium during a musical tribute. Over the stage a large orb appears. For what it's worth museums strive to keep their facilities as dust free as possible as dust can damage fragile artifacts.

Maybe it's just coincidence that this orb showed up. But if one believes that orbs can be evidence of ghostly activity, then perhaps Ladmo and Mike decided to join in the festivities that day. Or maybe it's just Fred, the museum's resident ghost.

GM

Ghosts in the Audience?

2007-11-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

I'm a speaker and storyteller as well as an author, and I do a historic storytelling presentation about Tombstone.

Awhile back I had the opportunity to do a short presentation at the Holiday Inn in Tombstone, so I handed my camera to someone and asked if they would mind taking a few snapshots while I was speaking. I wanted to use them as marketing photos. The first few shots came out normal, then these strange, green lines began appearing.

It has been suggested that these lines could be spoiled film. And they could be. But what is odd is they only appear in certain shots - while others on the same roll came out okay. Then again this is Tombstone, and weird anomalies in photos are the norm.

If there were ghosts in the audience that day I sure hope they enjoyed my story.

GM

High School Graduation Ghosts

2007-11-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

These have to be strangest photos I've ever taken.

My (now ex) husband and I had been invited to a friend's daughter's graduation from Tombstone High School in Tombstone, Arizona. This was the final graduation from the old high school, which was located on Fremont Street, just a few blocks away from the O.K. Corral.

We had parked next to the tennis courts, which are on the corner of 6th and Allen Street, caddy-corner from the infamous Bird Cage Theater. After we parked I decided to take a few family photos. Nothing out of the ordinary was going on other than the graduation, and everyone around seemed to be in a festive mood.

I couldn't believe it when I got my photos developed. I've never seen bending light rays, nor have I ever seen light rays with varying luminosity. I just have to write it off as another accidental ghostly encounter.

GM

The Bird Cage Theater, Tombstone, Arizona

2007-11-27T09:35:00.000-08:00

When I decided to write my first Luke and Jenny historical novel,Gunfight at the O.K.Corral: Luke and Jenny Visit Tombstone, I did what any author would do. I wrote what I knew. I decided to use some of my own accidental encounters in Tombstone's historic Bird Cage Theatre as a model for what would happen when my two main characters visited The Bird Cage.

The Bird Cage Theatre has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in America, and it has been featured in such TV shows as Dead Famous and Ghost Hunters.

The first time I visited the Bird Cage was in the summer of 2003. It was also the first time I ever had a strange anomaly appear in a photo. My ex and I came into the lobby and smelled cigar smoke. We asked the lady working behind the bar about it. She looked kind of embarrassed, and said, "It's just them." She went on to say that smoking has not been allowed in the Bird Cage for many years, but that cigar smoke can sometimes be smelled when the ghosts are around.

So now we know there is smoking in the afterlife!

We went inside the theater auditorium and took a few photos. As you can see, there is what appears to be a laser beam running down the stage, bending around corners, and then splitting in two to go around a barber's chair.

Since went to light beams bend to go around corners?

Little did I know at the time, but this photo would mark the beginning of my adventures as The Accidental Ghost Hunter.

GM

Who Is The Accidental Ghost Hunter?

2007-11-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

I'm an author of historical novels for young readers, and I spend a lot of time in historic places, like Tombstone, Arizona. While I'm there I seem to have a lot of brushes with the paranormal. I've experienced strange things various historical sites I've worked in, and I've met others who have had similar experiences at other historical places around the country.

While I don't automatically assume that every bump or bang I hear is a ghost, I've always believed in life after death, and I've always believed that those who have passed on can remain connected to loved ones still living and/or may have unfinished business to deal with.

My father was a believer in what is now called 'New Age' or metaphysics, long before Shirley McLaine came along and made it so popular. He believed in guardian angels, and the afterlife, and as I was I growing up he told me about Atlantis and about Edgar Cayce, the early 20th Century psychic most famous for using his abilities to assist physicians in diagnosing patients with unusual maladies. When I was in high school I read books about Edgar Cayce, as well as other books on metaphysics, ghosts, and past lives.

Many years later, after my father passed away, I started volunteering with a historical museum. I was helping to catalog a film collection kept in the top floor archives, or the stacks, as the staff called them. It turned out I was working in an area of the building that was allegedly haunted. In fact many of the staff refused to go up there alone. The staff had nicknamed their resident ghost Fred. No one really knew who Fred was, or where he came from, but paranormal experts tell me that ghosts can attach themselves to tangible objects. Needless to say this museum had a rather large collection of artifacts and personal mementos that had been given to them from various donors. Oftentimes these donors would give the museum items which had belonged to family members who had passed on.

One day, as I was working in the stacks, I heard a bunch of film cans start banging around. The noise came from a couple of rows of shelves behind me. No one else was in the room with me, so there was no reason for film cans to be moving -- unless of course, it was Fred, letting me know he was there. So, what could I do? I think I said, "Hello Fred," and kept working.

I continued to work on this project for sometime longer, but had no further encounters with Fred. Such was the beginning of my adventures as an accidental ghost hunter.

GM