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What
are Ghosts & Orbs? by J.Eaton
The below statement is evidence based
on the knowledge that is presently known concerning
these things. Yes, ghosts are real and they do share
space with us in this life although in a different
realm of existence. Orbs are also believed to be ghosts
of people as well as other life forms.
Orbs are believed (by many) to be ghosts in the form
of balls of light. They are life forms that travel
in groups and are believed to be the human soul or
life force of those that once inhabited a physical
body here on earth. Psychics claim to talk to them
on a regular basis, and ghost hunters encounter them
quite frequently. It is said that they are those spirits
that have willingly stayed behind because they feel
bound to their previous life or previous location
for whatever reason. Because of this obsession they
tend to become similar to a psychotic human beings.
It should be said that the majority of us when we
die proceed gladly and willingly to the next level
of existence after saying our quiet good-byes, which
means we're off to the spirit world. Then again, as
stated, a select few elect to stay behind because
of a refusal to move on. Apparently the longer they
stay behind, the harder it is to find their way to
the next level, which again, is the spirit world.
Ghostly orbs are the most photographed anomalies caught
on film by ghost hunters and are quite photogenic
(when they want to be). They can be completely transparent
or display themselves in a bright solid form. It is
not hard to capture them on film in their circular
form. It is theorized that ghosts prefer the form
of an Orb (ball of light) because it takes less energy
thus being the mode of choice among the ghosts. The
consensus is that small orbs take up the least amount
of energy and apparitions and other fuller shapes
take up the most. In the colder parts of the year,
it seems that ghosts tend to find it easier to take
on shapes other than orbs. That's when there is the
most static electricity in the atmosphere. Those months
being October through February. It is also believed
that they are able to draw on our own energy when
needed. I've listed these ways but there are obviously
many ways for ghosts to draw energy from the atmosphere
and environment but I won't take the time for that
here.
If you're wondering, ghosts are normally harmless
for the most part and have relatively no desire to
bring harm to anyone nor do they have much of an awareness
to act as such. Ghosts however, have been known to
disrupt the lives of those that they effect and play
pranks and move things about. To state it plainly,
they are actually limited in the activities that they
are able to carry out in their frame of existence.
Non-human forms as well as evil spirits and demons,
who have never had a body, have additional powers
and have the ability to sway our thoughts and tempt
our reasoning. This is why Ouija boards and other
similar devices should be shunned! They have the ability
to open windows into other realms of existence and
can attract evil or bad spirits. If you are experiencing
what you consider to be the effects of an evil spirit
or demon in your life then it could be the location
where you are living, but you must also consider your
life style as well. In other words, how you are living
or the activities that you involve yourself in that
might inadvertently be drawing them to you.
I might also mention a word or two about spirits in
this forum. First of all, as I have alluded to earlier,
ghosts and spirits are not quite the same. Spirits
are capable of continuing a full existence on the
other side with their full mental and emotional facilities
intact, unlike their counterpart the ghost. You will
most likely not encounter a spirit on a ghost hunt
as you would a ghost. When they are detected, it is
believed that their appearance might be in the form
of ectoplasm mist, as well as a full bodied apparitions.
They are permitted to visit on occasion and even communicate
a message when they have permission to do so but for
the most not they will not be picked up on any ghost
detection devices or be photographed by any cameras
(for the most part). Many believe that we have spirits
assigned to watch over us, and that might very well
be true but you won't normally be detecting them unless
they have a special purpose in making there presence
known. In other words Spirits (not ghosts) seem to
have a finer spirit tissue that is for the most part
undetectable.
There are other theories concerning ORBS. I have in
the past heard such theories that orbs might simply
be Nature spirits or Airborne protoplasm as you would
find under a microscope, except far more advanced.
Other types of ghostly phenomenon are the vortex (funnel
shaped appearance) and Ectoplasm (it has a mist or
foggy appearance) also called Ecto Mist. These are
often picked up on film and video as well but are
much more rare. I'm not making any determinations
to their origin but welcome any of your opinions on
the subject.
J. Eaton
http://www.ghoststudy.com/a_what_are_orbs.html
What
are Orbs? by Cambridge Paranormal Research Society
What
are orbs? Are they the early manifestation of a spirit
or do they have a more rational explanation?
Orbs are small round shapes of light that vary in
size, brightness and density. With the increasing
popularity of digital cameras orbs have become the
most popular photographic anomaly recorded to date.
Here at the CPRS we have seen thousands of photographs
captured by ourselves and submitted by members of
the public. We are of the firm opinion that an extremely
high percentage of all orb related photographs are
of a natural origin and not related to spirit.
A natural explanation.
Most of the orb photographs out there have been captured
with the use of digital cameras and nearly always
with the use of the cameras built in flash.
Only very rarely are they caught with SLR cameras
with high mounted flash units or in natural daylight
conditions with out any the use of an artificial light
source.
The main reasons for this is the sensitivity of the
CCD technology used with digital cameras and the use
of an artificial light source close to the camera
lens. Dust may contain moulds, fibres, and dander
from dogs, cats, and other animals, as well as tiny
dust mites. Dust particles close in to the camera
focal range are the normal culprits for most orb photographs.
When a digital photograph is taken using the flash
any airborne particles within the focal range and
focal angle of the camera lens are illuminated by
the flash and reflected back to the lens. As they
are so close to the lens they are out of focus and
therefore appear often as translucent blobs. The shape
of the orb, normally round is due to the particular
aperture type of the camera being used. Virtually
every kind of indoor environment will contain an amount
of dust in the air. Any movement in a building will
cause the dust to circulate and carry on the streams
of air caused by natural draughts, air condition units
or central heating.
Dust itself is does not have a particular reflective
quality and therefore it will be only the odd particle
within the cameras focal field and angle at the time
the flash goes off that will be picked up. Moisture
particles are a lot more reflective and by taking
photographs outside at night with flash on a night
of high humidity will also give the appearance of
an abundance of orbs on your photographs.
http://www.cambridgeparanormal.co.uk/orbs.html
What
are Orbs? from Shadowseekers.co.uk
Orbs
appear in photographs as small spheres of light. They
range is size and vary in transparency and color.
Many groups will claim that orbs are ghosts and restless
spirits, proof of the haunted state of the location
where they were photographed. Several groups even
claim a correspondence between an orbs color and the
emotions and intent of the spirit-orb being photographed.
The truth is, there is little to no evidence that
suggests orbs are spirits or ghosts in any way. We
tend to lean towards the explanation that orbs are
nothing more than naturally occurring particles photographed
by today's highly sensitive cameras. Before digital
cameras found there way into every household, orb
photos were extremely rare. Have you ever seen an
orb photo from the 70's or 80's? Probably not. In
fact, low end and first run digital cameras are very
likely the cause of this "paranormal" phenomenon.
Digital cameras are the latest and hottest invention,
and many groups will tell you that they are perfect
for ghost hunting. Rumors abound that digital cameras
are capable of photographing the infra-red spectrum,
and because of this, will allow you to photograph
ghosts..ghosts in the form of orbs. And since many
digital shots contain these round anomalies, at first
glance such statements may seem true. In fact, the
highly sensitive lens of a digital camera will photograph
not only the object you are intending to shoot, but
any dust, dirt or moisture in the air. When a camera
engages it's flash, light reflects of everything in
the lens' view..including the particles in the air.
Also, the digital imaging chips in digital cameras
vary from those in standard film cameras. When these
chips try to function in a low light setting, they
will often be incapable of recording the entire range
of the lens' view, and any gaps in the pixels will
show up in the picture as white circles. In fact,
the recent debate on orbs has prompted a response
and explanation from film industry giant FUJI Films
A simple experiment to aid in proving this theory
would be to shake out a rug in your living room then
snap a pic with a digital camera. You most likely
will have several orbs in the photo. Also, look closely
at a beam of sunlight that shines through a nearby
window. In the sun's beam, you will see several tiny
molecules of dirt and dust moving randomly in the
air. It is these particles that are often illuminated
by the intense light of a camera flash and then captured
by the camera's lens
As you look from group to group and encounter orb
photo after orb photo, you will encounter a variety
of theories and defenses for the "evidence"
many groups so ardently defend. Some will claim that
no dust or dirt was present when they photographed
a particular orb. The truth is, the only dust free
environment known to man exists in outer space, and
a simple breath is capable of stirring up dirt and
debris in the air. Some groups will claim that an
orb is a spirit because it looks different form one
that they admit is dust. In fact, dust particles look
vastly different from snow particles, which look different
from rain particles, which look different from dirt
molecules. Thus, you can have several orbs in a photo,
each looking quite different from the other, yet none
being anything paranormal in nature. The color of
particles in the air can be altered by atmospheric
conditions and moisture, thus helping to explain the
varying colors of orbs. Many investigators will claim
that because the orb was capture in a reportedly haunted
location, it must be evidence of a ghost. By that
logic, a picture taken of a man in the same location
would mean that the man was also a ghost.
http://www.shadowseekers.org/orbs.html
The
Gauss Master

The
Gauss Master EMF Meter is the ghost hunters EMF meter
of choice.
Hand-held, lightweight
and durable, with an easy to read scale (0-10 mG),
and audio signal. It can also measure between 0.1
-1mG by holding in the button on the side of the unit.
A Great meter for demonstrating the presence of dangerous
EMFs as well as for paranormal work. Requires one
9V battery (not included). Calibrated at 50-60 Hz.
This EMF meter is
an excellent introduction to ghost detection equipment.
This is the same item as used and featured in UK Living
Most Haunted Program. Put your mind at rest, perform
professional investigations: we are not all born with
the natural ability to detect ghosts! .
This
meter measures the level of EMF magnetic field radiation
from power lines, computers, kitchen appliances, and
more! The easy to read scale, unique built-in audio
signal and auto shut-off make it simple to use and
a great way to find hidden sources of EMF frequency
magnetic fields.
Includes a useful introduction to Ghost Hunting with
EMF meters. You will also have fun taking readings
with the EMF meter, of signals that surround us during
everyday life. Most experts agree that chronic exposure
to more than 2.5 milli-Gauss is inadvisable. This
meter will show you which areas are above or below
2.5 milli-Gauss in the 50 - 60 Hz
http://gaussmaster.com
EXPLAINING
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
(EMF METERS)
Anyone who has become interested in the field of paranormal
research today has probably heard of the gadgets that
the modern researcher uses. Among those instruments
is a devise called an electromagnetic verify probable
hauntings. EMF meters provide a starting point and can
eliminate things that we can not see in the walls and
floors, etc. Such meters make our job a little easier
as we struggle to document or disprove a haunting. However,
the EMF meter is only a tool that can help us; it can
not “prove” a ghost is there.
What is an electromagnetic field (EMF)? An electromagnetic
field occurs any time electricity passes through a wire
or an appliance that is operating. An appliance that
is plugged in, but not turned on emits an electrostatic
field, not an electromagnetic field. For the purpose
of studying parapsychology we will only need to learn
about electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetic fields
weaken with distance from the source. Electromagnetic
fields are measured in units called mill Gauss. A high
mill Gauss reading indicates a strong electromagnetic
field. The EMF meter will measure these fields but you
must determine what is an unusual field. What is considered
a normal field, though? Most buildings generally have
an ambient background reading of .5 to 2 mill Gauss
(mG).
There are several factors to consider when using an
EMF detector inside a building.
1) Walls are not barriers to EMF. Something on the other
side of the wall may be causing your reading. Find out
what is on the other side of the wall and decide if
that could be the source.
2) Electric wiring with current running through it gives
off a slight EMF. Look for possible wiring around the
area where you are picking up a reading. Active wiring
will only register if you are within a few inches.
3) Electric junction boxes or fuse boxes will register
stronger than wiring. Be aware of their locations.
4) Fluorescent lights give off an EMF that could register.
Incandescent lights give off a minimal, usually undetectable
EMF.
5) Appliances of all types give off an EMF when operating.
These include, but are not limited to, televisions,
computers, microwaves, refrigerators, and electric ovens.
You can determine the strength of an appliance’s
EMF by taking readings from different directions and
distances. If you are picking up a reading that is appliance
related it the EMF reading should drop off significantly
when you are a couple feet from the appliance.
Likewise, there are specific factors to consider when
using an EMF meter outside. Technically there should
be no EMF readings outside. If you find EMF readings
outside, consider these factors:
1) Are there any buildings close by? It is possible
that a nearby building is causing your reading.
2) Consider power lines. These will cause an increase
in the EMF reading. You should be aware of overhead
and buried power lines in your area.
3) A high iron content in the ground could also give
you a higher than expected EMF reading. This is the
same reason that a compass will not work properly in
an area that is rich in iron ore.
Now that you know some things that could give false
positive readings, what do you look for? If you do find
a higher reading that expected, and one not explained
by normal electrical sources, then you may have found
something paranormal. Remember that you have to account
for all the factors above before you can hope to reach
any true conclusions.
Look for EMF’s that appear and disappear. The
area you are investigating must remain constant to pick
up appearing and disappearing fields. If you have the
lights on when the high reading appeared, then they
must still be on when the lower reading is recorded.
The same would apply for all appliances and equipment.
Never turn off anything while in the middle of a search.
If you find a field that appears and disappears when
the background remains constant, then you may have activity.
EMF's that seem to move are a significant indicator
of activity. The background needs to remain constant
in order to locate such fields. I have found moving
EMF's in several locations. They will either move away
from you or follow you. In one case I was able to follow
a moving EMF through two floors of a building. On another
occasion, I followed a moving EMF into a room and through
a wall. Closer inspection of this wall indicated that
there had once been a doorway there.
I hope that you now have a better understanding of electromagnetic
fields and what can cause them. If anyone is interested
in obtaining an EMF detector, they can be ordered through
any major electrical supply company. I ordered mine
through Hite Company in Altoona for less than fifty
dollars. Now when you see me with my box of little red
lights, you will know what I am doing. Good hunting.
Working together as a team a photographer and a person
with an EMF meter can sometimes capture bursts of energy
called orbs. when he is picking up anomalous readings
at a location and I snap a photograph with my digital
camera, we will have captured an orb. Almost always
there is a temperature change happening at this time
if an orb is present. These we call cold spots that
often signal a ghost or spirit is present. What is believed
to happen is that the ghost uses the energy in that
spot to manifest itself and, in return, produces a cold
mass. These spots can sometimes be extremely cold. (Cold
spots are normally defined as unexplained temperature
variances not accounted for by normal means i.e.: cold
leaking from the seal of a refrigerator, breezes, open
windows etc.)
What
are Orbs? by Dave Juliane

What
are these balls of transparent light we find in photos
taken in allegedly haunted places? I won't tell you
I know the answer to this question. No one has the
true answer to this question yet, but that's part
of the job of researchers and investigator.
One of the leading
theories concerning what orbs are and the one that
I lean towards the most is that they are not the spirit
at all. The orb is the energy being transferred from
a source (i.e. powerlines, heat energy, batteries,
people, etc) to the spirit so they can manifest. This
may not even be a conscious thing the spirit is doing,
just a natural way they get their energy. This would
explain why the orbs are round balls. According to
the laws of Physics energy being transferring like
that would assume is natural shape of a sphere. This
theory can also be tied into the EMF readings we get
during spirit activity.
I always approach
things with a bit of skepticism, so when I saw all
these websites start showing off these photos as ghosts,
I was just as weary as most of you. I just had to
try it for myself. I took a 35mm camera that I had
used regularly for 6 years in all types of lighting
and weather and had never gotten an orb or other unexplainable
photo before and went out with a few seasoned field
investigators on a cemetery investigation. One of
the investigators was psychic and she pointed out
a few areas we should take photos, so I did. I also
had ghost footsteps walkup behind me twice and I turned
around quickly and took photos of the empty air. When
I got my photos developed, I had these orbs and fog
in those photos that I was told to take, as well as
the footstep ones. All my other photos were normal.
Coincidence?
Since we do not know
what orbs truly are, just that they seem to be found
mainly in areas where there is ghost activity, I will
tell you what they are not. On a normal investigation
there are about 10 people using 10 different cameras,
35mm and digital, and many speeds and brands of film.
They all get their film developed at separate places.
Let's say only half of these investigators get some
orb photos. Are these water spots or dirt on the lens?
That would mean that 5 people all had similar dirt
on their lens and all 5 did not clean their lens either.
Are these orbs film processing errors? Well the 35mm
cameras all had their film developed in different
locations and used different film so that is very
unlikely. The digital cameras can't have film-processing
errors. I am aware that some people feel that the
orbs on a digital camera are an error in the digital
processing of the image. When that error does occur
in digital photos, the objects tend to be square in
nature, not round and they cannot be semi-transparent,
the pixel behind would have to be corrupted also.
I will not even address the precipitation theory,
no legitimate researchers takes photos in any form
of precipitation. What about dust and dirt being stirred
up? Can that be the cause of the orbs? If that were
the case, I would think that there would not be normal
photos in a sequence of photos from the same camera
and location. All of the shots in a sequence should
have the dust or dirt in it. We find that most orb
photos do not appear in consecutive photos. All photographers
present should get orbs if it is dust being stirred
up as well.
These
are just a few things for the skeptics to think of
when they are condemning an orb photo as a fake or
fraud and some things for investigators to consider
when checking their photos for positives.
http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/orbs.htm
Ouija
Boards

History
The use of talking boards has roots in the modern
Spiritualism movement that began in The United States
in the mid-nineteenth century. Methods of divination
at that time used various ways to spell out messages,
including swinging a pendulum over a plate that had
letters around the edge or using an entire table to
indicate letters drawn on the floor. Often used was
a small wooden tablet supported on casters. This tablet,
called a planchette, was affixed with a pencil that
would write out messages in a fashion similar to automatic
writing. It should be noted that many of these methods
predate modern Spiritualism.
During the late 1800s,
planchettes were widely sold as a novelty. In 1890,
businessmen Elijah Bond and Charles Kennard had the
idea to patent a planchette sold with a board on which
the alphabet was printed, and thus had invented the
first Ouija board. An employee of Kennard, William
Fuld took over the talking board production and in
1901, he started production of his own boards under
the name "Ouija" [1].
The Fuld name would
become synonymous with the Ouija board, as Fuld reinventing
its history claimed that he himself had invented it.
Countless talking boards from Fuld's competitors flooded
the market and all these boards enjoyed a heyday from
the 1920s through the 1960s. Fuld sued many companies
over the "Ouija" name and concept right
up until his death in 1927. In 1966, Fuld's estate
sold the entire business to Parker Brothers, who continues
to hold all trademarks and patents. About 10 brands
of talking boards are sold today under various names
[2]. See also: Ka-Bala
How is it done?
A Ouija board is operated by one or more users. They
place the planchette on the board and then rest their
fingers on the planchette. The users start moving
the planchette around the board and speaking to the
entity (or entities) they wish to summon; They then
begin asking questions of it. Eventually the planchette
will come to rest on one letter after another, spelling
out a message. Often an additional participant records
the messages on paper. As with automatic writing,
the messages are often vague and open to interpretation,
or complete gibberish.
Some talking boards
have words or phrases written on them to simplify
the interpretation of the messages. Tarot, zodiac,
and other esoteric symbols are frequently incorporated
into talking board's design, along with dramatic and
mystical artwork. Some users prefer to improvise their
own Ouija board. They may use a sheet of paper with
the alphabet written on it or lettered cards placed
around a table, together with an object like an overturned
glass or coin as the indicator. Hand-made Ouija boards
produced by artists are valued by talking board enthusiasts
and collectors.
Many users feel that
the spirit with whom they are communicating is controlling
their motions to guide their hands, spelling out messages.
They see the board as a tool or medium through which
they communicate with the spirit realm. These believers
often take offence at the dismissal of the talking
board as merely a game. Other users contend that they
are in control of their own actions, but that the
talking board allows communication with their inner
psychic voice or subconscious.
Proponents of Ouija
boards do not believe there is any harm in communicating
with spiritual entities, provided basic guidelines
are followed. These rules often vary from user to
user, but usually include things like never playing
alone, beginning and ending a séance "properly",
and always using the board in "comfortable"
environment. Numerous superstitions surround Ouija
board use.
Skeptical view
Few people who have investigated Ouija boards from
a skeptical viewpoint accept that a piece of cardboard
sold as a game can conjure spirits, evil or benevolent.
The accepted theory among psychologists and skeptics
is that the participants are subconsciously making
small, involuntary, physical movements using a well-known,
and well-understood, phenomenon called the Ideomotor
effect. Experiments consistently suggest that, at
best, the messages are received involuntarily from
the participants themselves, and, at worst, by a manipulative
player, possibly with the connivance of confederates
within the group present.
In some instances,
users of talking boards have communicated with "ghosts"
of people who were not dead, as demonstrated by the
British mentalist Derren Brown in his 2004 television
special Derren Brown: Séance. Skeptic and magician
James Randi, in his book An Encyclopedia of Claims,
Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural,
points out that when blindfolded, Ouija board operators
are unable to produce intelligible messages. Magicians
Penn & Teller performed a similar demonstration
in an episode of their television show Bullshit!.
These failures indicate,
as skeptics believe, that people are simply very willing
to fool themselves, for example, by the Forer effect.
The public (and frequently energetically flaunted)
expression of native and genuine fears and subconscious
desires, often concerning death or sex, while appearing
genuine, can frighten impressionable people, or cause
them to loosen their purse strings (or both). It is
for this reason alone that many skeptics suggest that
the Ouija board is best avoided, particularly when
each player may not absolutely trust, or know, every
other player.
Source:
wikipedia
Séance

The
word Seance comes from French séance, 'seat',
'session', from Old French seoir, 'to sit.' In French
as in English the word came to be used specifically
for a meeting of people to receive spiritualistic
messages (a sense first recorded in English in 1845),
but earlier in French and English the word had been
used for meetings more generally.
Part of our human
conditioning tells us that we are part of something
more than third dimension. We envision gods, angels,
guides, and others on the other side who sometimes
interact in this realm. As we expand our conscious
awareness - we seek to hear their messages and make
a connection that is far more powerful than that in
3D. It is how we are programmed. humans have always
sought to connect with their creators - who exist
above this realm.
The history of seance
communication can be traced back to the third century.
Often a seance was connect to Occult practices brining
fear to those who attended or heard about them. To
many people - the concepts of spirits on the other
side who wished to communicate seemed impossible often
linked to Black Ceremonial Rituals and Magic and of
course the Trickster. This comes from Fear of the
Unknown. FEAR is part of human consciousness. As a
soul group we are often ruled by our issues and fears.
It was during the
1800's that the seance became popular mainly due to
the stardom of the Fox sisters who began a spiritualist
movement. Spiritualism is about Life After Death -
the Spirit Realms.
The Spiritualism movement began with what Allen Kardec
termed typtology. Typtology is a mode of spirit communication
in which spirits lift and tilt a table during a seance
to produce rapping sounds. In organized seances, a
number of people would sit around a table, hold hands,
concentrate, and ask questions of the spirits. The
spirits would then answer their questions through
a series of raps, or knocks, similar to someone knocking
on a door. In order to question the spirits, sometimes
a simple yes or no would be indicated by a prescribed
number of knocks. In another method, called alphabetical
typtology, letters of the alphabet were recited and
when the letter that the spirit wanted to draw attention
to was called, a rap could be heard; thus spelling
out words, sentences, and so on. Using this method,
it was possible to hold lengthy, detailed conversations
with the mysterious entities responsible for spirit-rapping.
The first recorded spirit-rapping began in America
in 1848 with the playful efforts of Margaretta and
Kate Fox to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
Much to their astonishment, they succeeded in establishing
a ghostly dialogue with the spirit of Charles Haynes.
Using rapping noises as its means of communication,
Hayne's spirit conveyed the message that he had been
killed and buried in the basement of their home. When
bones were found in their basement, what had begun
as innocent fun became a sensation. From these humble
beginnings, what came to be known as the Spiritualism
movement took root and grew to international proportions.
As a result of their spiritualistic activities, the
Fox sisters were condemned and lived in constant danger.
They were attacked by religious fanatics in their
community, and besieged by angry mobs several times.
They were also exploited, and eventually betrayed
by their own sister, Leah, who was said to have been
the beneficiary of most of the donations collected
from those who came to the Fox sisters for spiritual
counseling.
As the spiritualism
movement got underway in America and Europe, the strange
but well-documented manifestations of spirit communication
such as spirit-rapping and seance channeling were
regarded as weird and unexplainable events. The great
majority of Americans and Europeans viewed it as nothing
more than a bizarre form of entertainment. For those
who took the spirit communications seriously, however,
it quickly became apparent that something more was
happening. Many of the messages received from the
spirits were discovered to be quite accurate. In addition
to the messages, other phenomena were being witnessed
and verified by many of the most credible individuals
in American and European society. By 1854, spirit-directed
paranormal phenomenon had reached the level of an
interdimensional invasion. Leading spiritualists in
the United States decided that it was time to undertake
an official investigation. The erudite and well-respected
spiritualists petitioned Congress to appoint a scientific
commission to investigate the perplexing paranormal
phenomenon that had been witnessed by so many people.
The petition entitled
'A Memorial' described the phenomenon produced by
the spirits in great detail. The object of the investigation
was described in the petition as: 1) an occult force,
exhibited in sliding, raising, arresting, holding,
suspending, and otherwise disturbing, numerous ponderable
bodies, apparently in direct opposition to the acknowledged
laws of matter, and altogether transcending the accredited
powers of the human mind; 2) lights of various forms
and colors, and of different degrees of intensity,
which appear in dark rooms, where no substances exist,
which are liable to develop a chemical action or phosphorescent
illumination, and in the absence of all the means
and instruments whereby electricity is generated or
combustion produced; 3) sounds which are extremely
frequent in their occurrence, widely diversified in
their character, and more or less significant in their
import; and 4) how the functions of the human body
and mind are often and strangely influenced in what
appear to be certain abnormal states of the system,
and by causes which are neither adequately defined
nor understood.
This document was
delivered by the former governor of Wisconsin, Nathaniel
Tallmadge, to Senator James Shields to be presented
before Congress. Much to the consternation of the
petitioners, Shields scorned the spiritualists by
saying, "the prevalence of this delusion at this
age of the world, among any considerable portion of
our citizens, must originate, in my opinion, in a
defective system of education, or in a partial derangement
of the mental faculties, produced by a diseased condition
of the physical organization. I cannot, therefore,
believe that it prevails to the extent indicated in
this petition." Responding to Shield's criticism,
Eliab Capron, a chronicler of the spiritualism movement,
wrote, "It is not probable that any of the Memorialists
expected more favorable treatment than they received.
The carpenters and fishermen of this world are the
ones to investigate new truths, and make senates and
crowns believe and respect them. It is in vain to
look for the reception or respect of new truths by
men in high places." The widely documented and
verified invasion of the spirits described above never
received a plausible explanation and is still regarded
as a mystery.
In the fifty years
that elapsed between the publication of Kardec's books
and the incorporation of the Union, the spiritualism
movement declined in the United States and Europe.
Numerous scandals undermined the credibility of some
of its foremost proponents. By 1888, both of the Fox
sisters confessed that they were cheats. In fact,
both sisters had developed serious drinking problems
over the years. At the behest of her sister Leah,
Kate Fox's children were taken from her by the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and placed
in foster care. This act led to a great deal of bitterness
and anger against Leah by both Margaretta and Kate.
Feeling exploited and betrayed by their sister Leah,
who had collected and spent the great majority of
the money paid to them...Margaretta and Kate appeared
publicly at the New York Academy of Music.
Margaretta confessed
that she had made all the rapping noises that fostered
the movement by means of a double-jointed big toe.
Kate remained silent and would neither confirm nor
deny the confession of her sister. It was later learned
that a reporter had offered $1,500 to them if they
would confess and give him an exclusive on the story.
Desperate for money and liquor, the sisters apparently
agreed, and then proceeded to drink their earnings
away. Margaretta recanted her confession in writing
shortly before she died in 1895. Kate never recanted,
and died shortly afterwards. Both sisters were buried
in pauper's graves.
There has been a lot
of investigation concerning Spiritualism, but not
about Spiritualism in general. The early and later
researchers were all concerned about how to prove
or disprove Spiritualistic mediums, the Spiritual
world, the eventually afterlife or to explain strange
phenomena's that occur during seances, or PK and telekinesis,
among other related phenomena which all are claimed
to rest upon spiritual or (occult) mental power.
The
seances in the 19th century tended to be filled with
theatrics. These seances usually took place in darkened
parlors with a round table that sometimes moved.
A
seance generally involves communication between the
physical realms and one or more entities in other
dimensions. It is also called Mediumship. A Medium
is the person who contacts 'the other side.'
We
live in an age when many people are connecting with
those on the other side through a psychic medium -
on their own - or in dream time. The seance does not
have to be negative, scary or spooky.
I
have acted as a 'medium' for many seances. I have
personally never had a negative experience.
As
a Medium I speak with deceased entities in many of
my daily readings. I do not consider these experiences
- seances as there is none of the fan-fare involved
with what we associate with that word.
You
really don't have to do 'spooky stuff' to communicate
with spirits. They are around us all the time and
are generally ready to communicate if someone in third
dimension is able to tap into their frequency.
A
group of people mentally calling to spirits will create
a stronger energy field than one person. That is why
people often feel that group energy is needed - called
a seance.
When
planning a seacne there are many factors to consider
- especially with teenagers are around as their energies
sometimes attract souls that are dysfunctional.
An
experienced medium should be part of the group to
understand the symbols and messages given by Spirits.
If a medium is not present - one person should lead
the group.
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