Dec 16, 2008

Adrian Phoenix - Ghosts part 2

Ghosts Among Us
by Adrian Phoenix

Thanks for inviting me back for another go-round on your Vampire Notes, Patricia. I enjoyed the comments and the true life ghost stories and experiences I received from your readers following September’s ghost blog. I love your site and its musings on the paranormal, and I appreciate the opportunity to toss in a few more musings of my own.

What is a ghost? The soul of one who has died? A memory seared into the fabric of time by the raging fire of emotional intensity? A person in another time, living still, but seen through a thinning veil? Parts of our darkest and most primal selves, lashing out as poltergeists?

All of these and more – so I believe. Of course, these are only my reflections, my musings, my experiences.

Part Two: Ghostly Communication

In continuing with the first part of this blog on all matters ghostly from September, I’m now going to delve into the dark and murky waters called contacting the dead. I think there are actually two distinct levels of communication:

1. Verbal and auditory – Words spoken through a medium, whispers and cries heard in an empty building, rappings, dragging sounds, scratching sounds, breathing sounds.

2. Physical contact – Thrown objects such as pebbles, bits of glass, even chairs; actual touch or, in some cases, a hard-knuckled fist to the face, or scrapes deep enough to draw blood; doors opened and/or shut again; broken items such as light bulbs, glasses, cups; and transference of items from one place to another; table tilting; words spelled out on Ouija boards or via pendulum or other methods.

I plan to focus on the verbal and auditory level of ghost communication in this blog. The other level – physical contact – I’ll save for another time.

I’m intrigued by the tried and true methods of communication with ghosts, not only by the Most Haunted crew, but by mediums at least since the 1800s, and by amateur ghost hunters, such as the guys on Ghost Adventures (a new guilty pleasure).

Yet those we might want to communicate with most – our loved ones, family and friends – probably won’t answer because they have moved on, enjoying the next part of their journey. If a séance was organized to summon your decades-gone grandmother to ask her where her beautiful pearls went, you might get an answer. But it won’t be your grandmother speaking. It will be something pretending to be your grandmother and loving every minute of its deception.

Houdini spent the last years of his life hoping to contact his mother in the great beyond and attended séances by the dozen. He also proved the majority of séances and their mediums to be frauds. Even those with genuine skill were deemed money-grubbing tricksters by the magician/escape artist – who happened to excel in the art of illusion and deception himself. It takes one to know one, apparently.

Houdini also declared that after his death, he would try to contact his wife from the grave to give evidence that life continues and death is but a doorway. He gave her a secret code of 10 words so that she would know it was truly him, and not some trickery from a fraudulent medium. Every year since his death in 1926, a séance is held on Halloween and Houdini is summoned. But the 10 words have never been spoken. Silence is the only answer received year after year after year.

Those who take this silence as evidence that there is nothing beyond the grave are, in my opinion, mistaken. Silence only means that the individual has moved on and isn’t hanging around waiting for one of us to call on the séance hotline.

So who is available to take that hotline call? Ghosts of those trapped, lost, or left behind. And ghosts who’ve chosen to remain – to watch over a long-dead child or buried bride. Other entities answer as well, but that’s a topic for another blog.

Communication with a specific deceased loved one is quite a bit different from trying to communicate with a ghost who has haunted a drafty manor house or cold stone keep for centuries. Sometimes the history of the site or building might hint at who still walks its halls, other times, there’s no doubt. And the mystery draws us in deeper – who haunts this place? Why? Do they wish to tell us something? Can they tell us something? Will the telling free them? Do they even want to be free?

The question that always pops into my head first is: Do they know they are dead? And following right on that question’s heels is: How do they perceive the people striding into their midst, into their homes, calling to them like children playing hide and seek?

Most Haunted: “Are there any spirit persons present who wish to speak with us? We mean you no harm.”


Ghost Adventures: “C’mon! Try to scare me, you coward!”

I’ve often imagined that a ghost’s first perception of people blundering into their shadowed world would be along the lines of: Who the hell are you and what gives you the bloody right to march in here like you own the place?

I think one misconception held by most paranormal investigators along the lines of the crews for Most Haunted and Ghost Adventures is that ghosts want to speak to the living, that they have a need to communicate.

I have a feeling the majority have no such desire. I also suspect that many ghosts or spirits have no idea they are even dead. For some reason, people tend to think that ghosts understand their situation and have answers about ancient crimes and mysteries, and even about the afterlife itself. I think some ghosts exist in the world and time they died in. It’s all they know. It’d be interesting to know if they seek answers on their own, if they speak with ghosts from other eras and learn of those times, learn of the mortal world’s march through the centuries. Or are they bewildered, uncertain, afraid? And seeking to wrap the familiar around themselves like a comfortable blanket?

Are they confined to the place they haunt? Or can they venture out into the sunlit seen world from their safe and static moonlit unseen world and witness the world beyond their doors or gates?

Or do they flicker out whenever the living depart from their homes, a ghost on sleep mode like a computer monitor until mortal energy awaken them once more?

But we have to ask questions if we ever hope to receive answers, even though those we ask might not have any answers to give. Or not the answers we’d want, anyway.

One of my guilty pleasures is Most Haunted. This British paranormal investigation team almost always brings one or two mediums along with them to give psychic impressions of the site under investigation and of the people who might be haunting it. The mediums usually supply names, dates, and descriptions of those they encounter.

A couple of the mediums they’ve employed haven’t impressed me all that much, (and that just could be due to personal preference and not through any perceived drama-queen theatrics. Ahem.) while a couple of others have me more than convinced of their abilities.

While giving their impressions of the castle/keep/manor house/dockyards, the mediums also direct questions to any “spirit entities” hovering nearby. This often seems pointless because one person will ask the medium to ask the ghost a certain question and at that point it becomes a game of, “Will you tell your father to pass the butter, please?” “But Dad’s sitting right there!” “We’re not speaking.” “Great.”

And I have noticed on many occasions that the ghost replies with a thump, rap, or some other noise before the medium is halfway through the question. So the ghost seems to hear just fine and isn’t just ignoring the non-medium, after all.

Information is often transmitted through a medium in images, sounds, and smells, even in words that might emblazon themselves upon the medium’s mind like chalk on a blackboard. During a séance, a medium might relax their protective shields and allow a ghost to slip inside their bodies like a hand into a glove so they can speak directly with those gathered around the table or in the room.

Mediums are not only meat puppets for the dead, they are more often used like ventriloquist dummies, mouthing whatever message the ghost wishes to communicate.

And sometimes those messages consist only of nonsensical ramblings or things the visitors might already know.

I believe that every one has the potential to be a medium or sensitive. But during the transition from childhood to adult life, we shut that part down, the part that sees, hears, and feels things that simply aren’t there. Not in the seen world, anyway. Others not only keep this part of themselves open, they nurture it, exercise it, develop it and learn how to use it and protect themselves in the process.

But ghosts don’t always need (or even want) a medium present in order to communicate with the living world. Often raps or knocking seem to be in response to a question. On Most Haunted, the team members ask the “spirit entity” to knock once for no and twice for yes, then wait to see if they receive an appropriate amount of knocks or raps in response to questions. If they do, then they feel confident that they are communicating with an intelligent being.

The same is done with Ouija boards, table tipping, pendulums, and other means of spirit communication to ascertain an intelligent response. If the planchette spells out words and not just random gibberish, and the words seem to answer the question asked, (and if it can be verified that a person present didn’t “help” with the responses) then a ghost has spoken.

Pendulums are generally used for yes or no answers to questions, with the pendulum swinging to one side or the other. Table tipping is sometimes spontaneous or upon demand. “Move this table if you are So-and-So.”

As a teen I was fascinated with the supernatural (still am) and was willing to jump into almost anything. I’ve since learned my lessons and now know what not to do. When I was 13 or 14, my sister, a friend, and I decided to try our hand at a séance – with absolutely no clue how to do one.

We sat a table and asked riveting (coff, coff) questions like, “Is there a spirit here?” And, “If there is a spirit here, do you wanna talk with us (gum snap)?” The table we were sitting at in the dark began to quiver and vibrate. We stared at one another, shocked and excited and busily accusing each other of shaking the table. Then the table started to lift from the floor. At my end. It rose several inches, pushing my hands up higher until, terrified, I yanked them away. The table thumped back down onto the floor. We all shrieked and fled the room.

Ghostly activity or combined psychic energy from three teens?

My father gifted me and my sister with an Ouija board one Christmas (when I was 11 or 12) and we promptly put it to use. In the darkened bedroom, we’d solemnly ask if there was a ghost present and, invariably, the planchette would either poke at each letter or would zip so fast from letter to letter the damned thing would fly off the board. One afternoon, the planchette spelled out BILLY, then hesitated. We asked if Billy was a ghost. YES. Then I said, “Prove it.”

At that moment, the window shade rolled up with a snap and the curtains flew out as though wind-blown. The window was closed. Repeat the shrieking and fleeing scene.

But did that stop us from trying to communicate with ghosts? Nope. We played with that Ouija board every day for weeks. Then one night I woke up to see the planchette at the foot of the bed and not in its box with the board. It seemed to be crawling up along the blankets toward me. As if it had just thought of something else that needed saying/spelling.

I stared, chilled, my skin goosebumping. As it trundled closer, its point leading the way, it seemed almost eager. I finally leaped out of bed, switched on the light, and grabbed the planchette. No shrieking this time. I was too scared to make a sound. I tip-toed out to the living room where the games where kept and stuffed the planchette back into its box. When I returned to bed, heart drumming, I knew I’d never play with the Ouija board again.

To this day I’m still not sure if I dreamed the whole frightening episode or imagined it in a half-dream, half-aware state and I’m not sure it matters.

My experiences were those of a child who had no idea of what she was opening herself up to – Ouija – Oui (yes) Ja (yes) or what she might be saying “yes” to. And, my questions, “Is there a spirit here?” and “Are you really a ghost?” and “Prove it.” were pretty much open invitations to anything floating past, since my house wasn’t haunted by any spirits.

But in capable and protected hands like those of the Most Haunted crew, I believe the Ouija board (or similar board with a glass for in place of a planchette) can be a useful tool, especially when trying to communicate with willing ghosts. The same with a pendulum.

I don’t have any real experience with automatic writing, other than an experimental try which ended with a tablet full of scribbles. I’m sure I was too self-conscious to truly open up and allow myself to become a conduit, my subconscious touched and guided by the unseen.

Why are we so eager to communicate with ghosts? Many reasons, but curiosity is the main one. Who are you? When did you live? When did you die? Why are you still here? Are you alone?

But the unspoken thought behind each question is: If you are real, then we must exist after death in some form. It isn’t the end, after all.

Shows like Most Haunted, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters and individual paranormal investigators are seeking to prove the existence of life after death, to prove that such things as ghosts are quite real and we aren’t alone. (Yes, these shows are also seeking to entertain and titillate and make money, sure.)

But can you imagine what might happen if the existence of ghosts was proved beyond a doubt? Then, given the right tools and the right questions, we could delve into their ghostly minds for information on the hereafter – a hereafter no longer in doubt.

The existence of ghosts would rock the religious world and the scientific world. It would also wreak havoc on the legal world. If we acknowledge the existence of ghosts, then do we have to grant them basic human rights? Would people still be allowed to flock to haunted dwellings to demand appearances and answers? Beg to be frightened out of their wits? Shout insults and taunts into air tinted night-vision green in hopes of enraging an active and aggressive spirit?

Do we then become paparazzi, hounding ghosts who just want to haunt quietly and unnoticed (except by the occasional visitor or relative) as they move about their daily lives as they had when alive?

How would the average citizen feel about learning that their world is composed of dual shifting dimensions, the seen and the unseen?

How would the average citizen feel about learning they are the unseen in the ghost world/dimension?

I find it interesting that it’s usually assumed that ghosts know they are dead. I wonder about that and have my doubts. It’s also assumed that ghosts know who murdered them once they’ve passed on even if they never saw who killed them. It’s assumed that knowledge of the hereafter is issued to each of us upon death. Another thing I find interesting is that ghosts are expected to understand us – no matter what century or country they lived in while alive – when we speak to them like they’ve had a universal translator issued to them along with their handbook on the hereafter.

The English spoken today is vastly different from the English spoken centuries ago. When I see a book written in old English, I can’t read it because the words are too unfamiliar, the spelling too different. It’s the same with most languages, I believe.

So when a medium saunters into a keep in France and asks questions in English, I’m always amused and skeptical. Even if the French ghosts understood English, our English would be virtually unintelligible.

I also think that the equipment brought along to film these events would be beyond the experience of most ghosts present and might even seem fantastical or diabolical. The exception would be modern spirits familiar with TV.

In one episode of Most Haunted, the crew had been trying in vain to communicate with a ghost reputed to have haunted this particular manor house in England for several centuries. They were receiving a few knocks and raps, but nothing that seemed to answer their questions. At one point, the historian present wondered aloud if language might be a barrier since the owner had been French, not British. The parapsychologist present (and busy filming the proceeding) volunteered to repeat the questions in French and, voila, they began to receive the proper amount of knocks in answer to their questions.

I believe this particular issue came up for the Most Haunted crew on several occasions, mainly when they were investigating places in other countries. When they were in Romania, they had a translator repeat all questions asked in Romanian.

It seems that ghosts require energy from us or from electrical equipment, batteries, etc, in order to communicate with us physically or verbally. That’s the reason for the joined hands at a séance, to provide an unbroken circle of energy that the ghost can drink from to become substantial, or to voice eerie words, sighs, or groans, or to have the strength to move objects.

I think some of the sounds that frighten us the most when we are the only living being in a room are dragging, shuffling sounds and a sudden inhalation or exhalation by someone who isn’t there – at least not in the seen world. It’s interesting that most ghosts don’t have the strength/energy to voice words that we can hear, but they can knock or rap or tip tables. Maybe less energy is required for those acts or maybe a different kind of energy is used.

But in the end, most of us yearn to know that we continue after we die, that those we’ve loved and lost to the ravages of time, disease, and accident are safe and happy, and eagerly waiting for the moment we finally catch up with them, laughing at us for taking so long.

In many ways, our fascination with ghosts is a reaffirmation of life and a way of dealing with our own mortality.

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Many thanks to Adrian Phoenix for this lively, entertaining essay!

Read Ghosts Part 1

Adrian has a fascination with ghosts but writes passionately about vampires. Her books, A Rush of Wings (see review) and its sequel In the Blood (Dec.30,2008), tell the story of Dante Prejean whose life of torment has not changed the basic goodness of his character. Both novels have received excellent reviews.



One lucky commenter will win a copy of A Rush of Wings ( or In the Blood if you already have book 1)

For a chance to win do one (or more) of the following:

*Comment on any subject from the interview. Each comment on a different subject counts as an entry.

*Ask Adrian a question. Each question counts as an entry.

*Link to Patricia's Vampire Notes and send me the URL. Each link counts as an entry.

Be sure to include your email information so that I will be able to contact you.

This contest ends at 11:59 pm December 17, 2008.

PS If the winner already has A Rush of Wings Adrien will send a copy of In the Blood when it it available.

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

No need to enter me as I have copies of both of Adrian's awesome books. Just dropping by to show some luv for you both.

Hugs, Judi

Carmen R said...

I agree that looking for ghost is a way for us to confirm there is something after death for us. As a kid I always tried to muck with finding ghost and a few times I had things happened that I can still not explain away. Now my son seems to have some very odd things happen to him and he even at the ago of 4 told use about this nice old man that came to play with him. One day he was talking to this nice old man ( who i thought was just his made up friend) My neighbor who is an older lady was in my home and my son said this mans name. Well My neighbor started to freak out and said " that's the man that use to live here and passed away in this house" Now i don't know if it really was a ghost or maybe my son just has a gift of tapping into things that most don't stop long enough to notice but it sure makes ya think about things that's for sure.

hdtermite (at) yahoo (dot) com

Ruth Schaller said...

This ghost thing...I've always wondered what happens to our souls. But I swear up and down to this day that my grandmother's hosue was haunted by something. Strange noises and stuff that just couldn't happen.

In regards to the 'human rights ' parts of the interview - if we acknowledged ghosts, wouldn't that be considered 'ghostly rights'? LOL

Just stuck with me, so I had to ask!

Margay Leah Justice said...

Adrian, I am with you - I love these shows. Perhaps because I have had some experiences in my life similar to those of the people on these shows. In fact, two of the houses that I grew up in had spirits attached and odd things happen to me presently. So I like to read about/watch others' experiences. What I want to know is, it says part two of the story - where can I read part one?

Asylumgirl said...

I have seen episodes of all these shows. Ghosthunters is my favorite. I must admit that I can't really get into Most Haunted, they just get overly excited about every little thing. Ghost Adventures is fairly new to me, but I like it so far. The host is funny. Did you see last week's with the snakes? Hilarious!

Adrian, have you participated in in ghosthunting type of adventures?

Deidre

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

No need to enter me. I'm dropping in to let you know that I posted about this at Win a Book. It's fascinating stuff; I hope a lot of my lurkers come read this.

Patricia Altner said...

Judi

Thanks, for dropping by!

Patricia Altner said...

Margay

I'm going to answer the question about Ghosts Part I. Go to http://tinyurl.com/6xq5qw

I've also posted a link at the end of today's article. Should have done that before!

Thanks for asking that question!

Anonymous said...

I don't know if I want there to be ghosts in the afterlife or in the beyond or wherever they come from. I mean, if my soul turns into a ghost and I can watch my family carry on, but I couldn't participate, then I think that would be my own version of hell.

Patricia - all posted at Literary Escapism!

Anonymous said...

Great blog posting. I truly believe that there are spirits or ghosts out there and many other things that we cannot explain completely. Though with the advent of new technologies, more verification is possible and very exciting.

Thanks for being here today! Looking forward to reviewing your work some time soon.

And a big thanks for PVN for having yet another great event!

StyleVamp said...

This read was unbelievable, I knew that Houdini would put anyone that claimed had psychic abilities disproved. However it was interesting to find he had wanted to contact his mother & the pact his wife maintained after he died. This was fascinating .. that
part of the ouija board moving towards her..oh my.

This was great treat for me..thx patricia and Adrian Phoenix :)

robynr said...

I personally havent ever seen a ghost but my nan has. Both occasions happened in her old house which as you would expect creeped me out completely. Thanks for posting an awesome blog. It was really interesting.

Adrian- I cant wait to read In the Blood.

Kaye said...

I think if ghosts were proved beyond a doubt, it would be a comfort knowing there is more.

My question: Have you ever had an out of body experience? I haven't read a Rush of Wings yet but it sounds good. Please enter me in the contest
florida982002[at] yahoo dot com

Adrian said...

Hi Judi! And thanks for the love! :)

Adrian said...

Hi Carmen, thanks for your comment and for your spooky experience that your son had. I think children (especially small ones)haven't learned to filter out things that rational adults would interpret as "imagination."

It's very possible that your son spoke with the deceased former owner. Maybe he'd been a doting grandfather while alive. It's also possible your son connected with the memories embedded within the house.

Thanks again!

Adrian said...

Hi Ruth S. Hah! You cracked me up with 'ghostly rights'! I think that's a valid observation. LOL!

Human, animal, and ghost rights.

Thanks for visiting!

Adrian said...

Hi Margay, I'm glad you've enjoyed the blog, and I think Patricia gave you a link to part one.

Feel free to tell us about some of the haunted experiences you've had.

Best,
Adrian

Adrian said...

Hi Deidre,

Yes, they do get overly excited on Most Haunted, but I still enjoy it. I saw the episode of Ghost Adventures in Boise, ID with the snakes. I cracked up, because I grew up in Boise and know that the foothills are literally crawling with rattlesnakes. Zak should've been carrying a big stick. LOL.

The old penitentiary is very haunted and even my dad had ghostly experiences when he took a tour of it. And he was a skeptic. Spooky place!

Great to hear from you again!

Adrian

Adrian said...

I forgot to answer your question, Deidre. I haven't gone out on a ghost hunting adventure at this point. But i'd like to.

I recently learned there's a little band of ghost hunters here that I might try to tag along with as research and because of intense interest.

I'm also considering contacting the Most Haunted and Ghost Adventures teams to see if I could tag along to see how things are done for a series I plan to write.

If either said yes, it'd be fun! Even if they say no, I have the local group.

Adrian

Adrian said...

Thanks so much for posting about the blog at Win A Book, Susan! Much appreciated!

Adrian

Adrian said...

Hi Jackie and thanks for your comments. I agree, I think watching your family and being unable to interact with them would be sheer hell.

And I think some of the spirits that haven't been able to move on for whatever reason DO go insane. Especially if they don't understand that they have died and been buried/cremated. They keep trying to speak to or touch their loved ones and if they succeed, all they receive in response are terrified screams.

I feel ghostly insanity is overlooked and might explain a lot of bizarre paranormal actions.

Thanks for the link on Literary Escapism!

Adrian

Adrian said...

Hi, Rachel, and thanks for your comments!

Adrian

Adrian said...

Hi, Tanya! I'm glad you enjoyed the read.

Best,
Adrian

Adrian said...

Hi Robyn! Was it the old house that creeped you out, or was it your nan's ghostly experiences that creeped you out?

Adrian

Adrian said...

Hi Kaye,

Yes, I've had out of body experiences. The first time it happened was during a nap. I felt myself rising up, just floating.

When I looked down, I saw my body curled up, snoozing, on the bed. The sight freaked me out and I snapped right back into my body like a rubber band. I jolted awake and felt tired and out of sorts.

Other times when it happened, I would hear a doorbell or someone knocking on a door first.

I really don't want out of body experiences and do everything I can to ignore them. LOL. They usually result in nightmares and exhaustion. (Maybe because I resist.)

I hope you enjoy In the Blood!

Thanks,
Adrian

darbyscloset said...

I agree with the comment about our fastinaction with ghosts....yes we..
Thanks
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

annalisa said...

Fascinating blog today! I really enjoyed reading about your experiences. You gave me something to think about because I've never thought about ghostly insanity before. Scary! :)

Adrian said...

Hi Darby,

Thanks for your comments!

Adrian

Adrian said...

Hi Annalisa,

I'm glad you enjoyed the blog and that you know have new food for thought!

Thanks,
Adrian

Ruth Schaller said...

I love watching Ghost Hunters. My fave episode was when they did the lighthouse (it looked like a candy cane...LOL)They were chasing this thing all over the place. I've seen it twice ANd got a copy for my Ipod.

Ruth Schaller said...

Now for ghostly communication - when I was younger my friends and I played with a Ouji board - that is some serious stuff. We were at my grandmother's house and some strange things started happening. I, at the time, firmly believed it was a BS until it actually moved by itself and none of us were touching the dang thing. I couldn't tell you who was doing the spelling, but I sure as H**L didn't want to find out. I've heard some crazy stories about them things. To this day I won't touch one again!

Enchanted by Books said...

I love those ghost hunting shows too. They're so interesting. I love reading about ghost stories and I believe that ghosts do exist. I've never communicated with a ghost before but I've had weird experiences that I think are from people who have passed on that I've known. I've never had an out of body experience but I love reading about them in books. Especially astral projection. Very interesting.

Adrian said...

I remember the light house episode, Ruth. It was interesting! I agree that Ouija boards need to be used by people who are trained in paranormal things and know how to shield themselves and know what they're doing.

The Ouija board used to be marketed as a toy/game for children. (That's why my dad bought one for me and my sister.) Does anyone know if this is still the case?

Adrian

Adrian said...

Thanks for your comments, Rachael. Good to see you here!

Adrian

donnas said...

That was a great post. I really enjoyed it. I have always been interested in ghosts and the paranormal.

Ghost Hunters is one of my favorite shows, but most of the Most Haunted episodes I have seen have been kind of over the top and makes me feel its just for entertainment purposes not actually contacting spirits.

I totally think that if a ghost has moved on, there is nothing you can do to contact them. And if you try its entirely possible that you will only get something pretending to be them. I do believe that some ghosts stick around and that some can come back for a moment if they want to tell you something.

Again great post. Thanks!

Ruth Schaller said...

Adrian - Ya know, now that I think about it I used to see them on the shelves of all the stores. But in recent years, I haven't...hmmmm...makes ya wonder! But that's how my dad got one - it was sold at Kmart. I don't think they are sold that way anymore.