Nightmares, Are they Real? Or, just a Bad Dream?

As a child I use to get pretty bad dreams. Thinking back, I think it was the movies and TV shows that did it. Had two closets that were near my bed. I thought any second someone was going to pop out with a scary face. Now, I'm not afraid of walking around in pure darkness. Doesn't bother me at all. Now, if I was trying to see something in dark. I believe it is what they call "matrix's". That your eye focuses to see something familiar and programs that to your brain.
But, for the past, say, twenty years. I have been having dreams of things yet to come. Now, don't laugh, this is true. For me that is. It's the most bizarre thing, ever. And, the dreams are very vivid.
My son is another story. He has been having for the past four years. Something that people would call a "succubus". A female demon. I know for you guys that don't believe in demons. It's like, "Yup, she's a strange one. Let me go to another blog!". Let me put it to you this way. I'm not that big into that idea either. But, it blows my mind. What he goes through. Some people would say, "Maybe he's on drugs. But, you don't know." True. But, I have to give him a shadow of a doubt to be fair. But, there are people that believe in this theory. Like Paranormal State. Ryan is always talking about demons. Heck, they follow the guy. I think dreams are way too complicated still to understand.

Haunted "Fun" Houses, Wow, they've changed!

Originally haunted houses in Amusement Parks were just a "tiny" ride of rinky-dinky two-seaters. That would do an S-shaped loop of so call, scary stuff popping out from the sides (usually dirty, they haven't been cleaned in years). And, at the end of each turn some silly big thing would lean over to scare you. Very boring!
Then it was in the '70s that really started the "new" haunted house idea of having "actors" walk around scaring people. At first "real" empty houses were used. But, a lot of injuries started to happen because of the condition of the houses. So, there was a clamp down by the states, I guess, at the time. I went to one of the best haunted house's at the time in the east coast at Long Branch, NJ. Forgot the name, but, it was huge. I think three stories high. But, there were few exits for those who wanted to get out if it gets to intense for them. Laws were changed after the fire at the Great Adventures haunted house. When I went, my sister, two nephews, and my mother thought it would be fun. Personally, it was too much. The actors at the time would touch people to an extreme. They wouldn't stop, even if you told them over and over. Some poor people got followed through the whole time. Very poor visibility. My mother hit the guy that kept touching her with her huge purse.
Now, Haunted Houses are a huge business across the country. Here, in the east coast, in NYC there's a couple during Halloween that are really professional, with real actors. And, at Philly Eastern State Pen does the same. But, you pay a pretty penny for the fun. Now, when I come to think of it, which is better? A real haunted house, or the one with the paid actors?

Creepy, Spooky, Scary, Movies Gotta Love Them

Movies, the spookier the better I'd always say. I remembered living in the Bronx (yeah, where Yankee Stadium is)as a young child my mother taking me the the movies. My sister was eight years older then me had her date to go to the movies with. And, my father hated going. So, I landed going with her. In those days you had two movies for one price. First one was what we use to call "B" movies. The second one was the main attraction. So, I remembered watching Sci Fi pictures that were poorly made. But,some weren't that bad. Monthra, Master of the World, King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Brain that Wouldn't Die, these were the "B" movies. Then we would have Intermission with a cartoon. Then the main movie. Thinking back, I wouldn't have taken my son to some of these pictures. There were no ratings back then. And, yes, I had nightmares. Many nightmares. But, I remember those movies fondly. My all time favorite is "Carnival of Souls". It was a creepy black & white film. And, it was filmed during overcast days. Which gives that eerie feel. I highly recommend it. It's on Hulu. Second, is "The Haunting" very smartly made picture. You were in the main character's mind. Watching, seeing, hearing what she was experiencing. Love it! All the other movies I had watched during that time were: The Little Shop of Horrors, Psycho, Village of the Damned, Dr. Blood's Coffin, The Pit and the Pendulum, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Birds, The Crawling Hand, The Raven, Hush, Hush, Sweet Charotte, Masque of the Red Death, to name a few. Vampire pictures I loved also. With Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
They hardly make horror films like they use to. Now, some of them are just plain downright sick. And, that's not fun to watch. And, no story line.

Paranormal Investigations

This idea of "investigating" places is to prove there is a true haunting. Was started by The Warrens. You might know her an Lauraine Warren on Paranormal State. Her, and her husband started doing this around 1952. Not that terribly long ago as one might think. John Zaffis is her nephew. And, he was the one that trained Jason Hawes of Ghost Hunters. Hans Holzer too had done a lot of investigations with medium Sybil Leek around the same time as the Warrens.
The first ghost hunters. Worked just be "feelings" alone. Whether being a sensitive or a medium. Or, both. Which is ususally the case. At the turn-of-the-century you had people that ran seances. But, you had to go to "them". But, the Warrens were one of the first to go to a haunted location.
The recent influx of paranormal investigations is due to groups using equipment to prove hauntings. Like I said on an earlier post. I said that I'm not to keen of the usage of the equipment that were originally made for something else. Being use for this purpose. They are not accurate.
Groups were springing up left and right since Ghost Hunters start on TV. Now, a lot of these groups are shutting down. The equipment is horribly expensive. $10,000. for a Thermal Camera alone. They are not suppose to charge for an investigation. But, can get involved in fundraisers. Some recent investigators have been robbing homes (people just using it as a front).
So, the question is? Which is the best way to investigate? Or, should anyone really investigate at all in the first place?
I believe it's your own personal experience that really counts. Or, just buy a book that talk about haunted places, stories from other peoples experiences. Nothing really shouldn't have to be proved.

Are We Living In A Paranormal World?

I love "Most Haunted". Their way more entertaining then the US shows by far. Karl the Producer, Yvette's husband (that's the name of his website also) started last June "The Paranormal Channel" 24/7. They also run twice a year seven day Lives. We can only watch them on Youtube. Hate that! They even have the "Screaming Banshees" and "Whines and Spirits". It seems that in the UK their way ahead of us here. Here the shows seem more sluggish. They don't even attempt to freshen it up. To much in-house fighting, like Jason with Brian (that got boring real quick).
There seems to be a lot of "copy cat" going on here also. Mainly, the American shows steals ideas from Most Haunted. When I see this I'm thinking, "Can they come up with new things on there own? For Heaven Sakes!" Like, MH started with going inside crypts, or morgue freezers. Then, Ghost Adventures copies. Then Ghost Hunters. Please, people, don't do that again. It makes you guys look bad. Then Ghost Hunters started Ghost Hunters International (maybe this started because of Steve's phobias, lol!). Mainly because Most Haunted has Most Haunted USA. I'll give credit where it's due. And, Most Haunted, wins!

Books on the Paranormal

All my life I loved "spooky books" as I called it when I was a child. About haunted house, ghosts, the undead, etc. My favorite is Sleepy Hollow. But, as I got older I was beginning to understand that there were differences. That books were based on Fact or Fiction. To find out that Sleepy Hollow wasn't real, hurt. I started to separate my books. Then I started to read Hans Holzer. His books were based on really hauntings. I was fascinated. When I reached High School. I went back to fiction. The Exorcist, Stephen King novels. I was hooked. After having grown my child up. And, he's an adult now. I'm reading, now, Ghost Hunting. Yeah, by the TAPS guys (I'm not that crazy about them). Just to know how they run their baseline to gather evidence for real hauntings. I'm almost finish. Weird Hauntings by the Weird New Jersey guys. That's the next one I'm going to start read.

Ghost Tours

It use to be that "ghost tours" were only in the place that you were visiting. Let's say for instance, Morris-Jumel Mansion in NYC. The person that was in charge of watching the place. Would also give you a tour. You got more bang for your buck. You can ask questions one-on-one. And, you would get more "inside" info then you can ask for.

Now, it's a money-making machine. It cost a pretty penny. Usually, 90 minute tours. No time to rest. If you lag behind, your out. You land up always trying to get to the front so you can hear the tour guide. The more further back you are the more talkative everyone seems to be. Or, you can go on a double decker bus. That you zoom by places. You have to be on the top and front for the best seat. And, if there are too little people on the tour they push you to the next. Or, call it off at the last minute. And, quite frankly, there not that good. They also have ghost "hunting" tours. Their just as bad.

You do better off going online before you visit. Print up your own tour. Get maps and read books as well. You'll enjoy it much better. And, you can eat, sit, freshen up and continue.