Of all the superstitions prevalent amongst the natives of Ireland at any period, past or present, there is none so grand or fanciful, none which has been so universally assented to or so cordially cherished, as the belief in the existence of the banshee. There are very few, however remotely acquainted with Irish life or Irish history, but must have heard or read of the Irish banshee; still, as there are different stories and different opinions afloat respecting this strange being, I think a little explanation concerning her appearance, functions, and habits will not be unacceptable to my readers.

The banshee, then, is said to be an immaterial and immortal being, attached, time out of mind, to various respectable and ancient families in Ireland, and is said always to appear to announce, by cries and lamentations, the death of any member of that family to which she belongs. She always comes at night, a short time previous to the death of the fated one, and takes her stand outside, convenient to the house, and there utters the most plaintive cries and lamentations, generally in some unknown language, and in a tone of voice resembling a human female. She continues her visits night after night, unless vexed or annoyed, until the mourned object dies, and sometimes she is said to continue about the house for several nights after. Sometimes she is said to appear in the shape of a most beautiful young damsel, and dressed in the most elegant and fantastic garments; but her general appearance is in the likeness of a very old woman, of small stature and bending and decrepit form, enveloped in a winding-sheet or grave-dress, and her long, white, hoary hair waving over her shoulders and descending to her feet. At other times she is dressed in the costume of the middle ages—the different articles of her clothing being of the richest material and of a sable hue. She is very shy and easily irritated, and, when once annoyed or vexed, she flies away, and never returns during the same generation. When the death of the person whom she mourns is contingent, or to occur by unforeseen accident, she is particularly agitated and troubled in her appearance, and unusually loud and mournful in her lamentations. Some would fain have it that this strange being is actuated by a feeling quite inimical to the interests of the family which she haunts, and that she comes with joy and triumph to announce their misfortunes. This opinion, however, is rejected by most people, who imagine her their most devoted friend, and that she was, at some remote period, a member of the family, and once existed on the earth in life and loveliness. It is not every Irish family can claim the honour of an attendant banshee; they must be respectably descended, and of ancient line, to have any just pretensions to a warning spirit. However, she does not appear to be influenced by the difference of creed or clime, provided there be no other impediment, as several Protestant families of Norman and Anglo-Saxon origin boast of their own banshee; and to this hour several noble and distinguished families in the country feel proud of the surveillance of that mysterious being. Neither is she influenced by the circumstances of rank or fortune, as she is oftener found frequenting the cabin of the peasant than the baronial mansion of the lord of thousands. Even the humble family to which the writer of this tale belongs has long claimed the honourable appendage of a banshee; and it may, perhaps, excite an additional interest in my readers when I inform them that my present story is associated with her last visit to that family.

1952-Salem, Massachusetts. July 16, 1952 During the peak of the 1952 UFO Flap, Shel Alpert, a USCG seaman on duty in the Coast Guard Weather Office at the Salem Coast Guard Station, saw four brilliant lights in the sky. He called another Guardsman to see the lights, but in those few seconds the lights had become more dim. When they brightened again, he quickly took a single photograph through the window of the office. This photo has been published in many books, newspapers and magazines. {source: ufocasebook}

Rotherwood Mansion - Photo credit Monica Weiberg

Kingsport, TN – There are places about which legends are borne. For some, stories survive for generations because of personalities so evil, the mere mention of their names are used to terrify children. For others, stories of love lost and tragedy give a place a romantic, if melancholy, air. But for a few, the tales of the tragic and terrible collide, creating a place where the past and present fuse, and where some long to visit, but others dread. With the edge of time, legends and folk-tales arise, but no matter how strange they sound, there is usually a base in truth. Sometimes, the truth is more horrifying, more tragic, than the stories.

Read complete article here. {via Dread Central}

The Mystical Shambala

Some people say that Shambala is hidden in a remote part of the Himalayas. Some call this mysterious kingdom “a house of the immortals” – Gyanganj. It is identified as Shambala, Shangri-La or Siddhashram, but this “wondrous land” has many other names too.

In Tibet, the word for a legendary and enlightened kingdom, “Shambala”, means a “source of fortune”. It is not the “heaven” we see from our Earth, but a mystical kingdom that guards the most secret spiritual teachings of the world and of the universe, including the Kala Chakra tantra, the Wheel of Time, which is a pillar of the Buddhist wisdom.

Read complete article here. {via Himvani}

USS Eldridge (rendering)

The Philadelphia Experiment has been a subject of long controversy, debate and blurry vision. The basis is, it was an experiment conducted by the Navy to create a ship that couldn’t be detected by magnetic mines and radar. In other words, they wanted to render a ship invisible.

The Philadelphia Experiment has also been associated with several invisibility projects and mind-control experiments. While the actual truth behind the experiment can never be known, we rely on what little information was leaked out or given out by people claiming to be witnesses to the project, or otherwise members of the project itself.

Read complete article here. {via nhatky.in}

Harry Price

Harry Price rightly deserves the title of father of modern day ghost hunting. He was perhaps the most influential person involved in the ghost hunting phenomena.

A well known psychic and paranormal researcher, Price investigated all sorts of haunted places and eventually founded his own National Laboratory for the scientific examination of psychic phenomena.

A very controversial figure, he was accused of fraud and deception in regard to his investigations.

Price’s most famous case involved the haunting at Borley Rectory in Essex.

Read complete article here. {via The Examiner}

Are they Real?

This is a great article on many of the problems and disinformation surrounding the infamous MJ-12 documents. I highly recommend listening to Robert Hastings discuss the subject further on the May 24, 2009 episode of The Paracast.

Disinformation Specialists Richard “Falcon” Doty and Robert “Condor” Collins are still leaving little presents all over the place for the uninformed and unsuspecting. Watch where you step!

Jeez! It’s not like I don’t have other things to do. With the publication of my book UFOs and Nukes: Extraordinary Encounters at Nuclear Weapons Sites, and following my July 18, 2008 appearance on Larry King Live, I have received a number of intriguing and seemingly confirmatory leads from former or retired military personnel regarding the reality of UFO activity at nuclear weapons sites over the last six decades.

While I would much prefer following up on those apparently legitimate leads, I guess I am going to have to roll up my shirt sleeves and attempt to educate a few well-intentioned but way-too-gullible folks regarding the supposed validity of the MJ-12 “documents” and related disinformation which is still being spread around by Richard Doty and Robert Collins, sometimes in emails or online posts, but most egregiously in their co-authored book Exempt From Disclosure. The first version was published in 2005 and the second in 2008. The Introduction, in each edition, should have opened with these words: “First, before we begin, bend over!”

Read the complete article here. {via The UFO Chronicles}

When it comes to Bigfoot, Maine doesn’t usually come to mind does it? But it just so happens that Maine actually has it’s own version of Bigfoot. The hairy legend known as Indian Devil ruled the wilderness on and around Maine’s highest mountain, Mount Katahdin.

According to Native American mythology, Indian Devil, also known as Pomoola, was a giant half man half beast creature that wasn’t too friendly when stumbled upon by an Indian. Supposedly this thing had a real chip on it’s shoulder and enjoyed protein, so it wasn’t out of the question that it would make a meal out of an Indian. But if left alone the Pomoola was friendly and kind. I guess the key is just don’t go poking it with a stick.

Now as far as sightings go, the stories are a bit all over the place.  Allegedly the first white man to have a run in with the beast was in 1866. While on a hunting trip around Mount Katahdin, Cluey Robbins decided to fetch some water around dusk. Across the river Cluey witnessed a man-like creature covered with red hair, snagging fish and eating them live. Cluey would see it again at dawn and for some strange reason the purported furious Pomoola did not attack and devour him. It was later discovered when Cluey discussed his sighting with his Native American buddies that he found out that Pomoolas don’t like white meat. Or that was their only explanation for the lack of the dinner bell being rung. I swear, this was their explanation.

But it looks as though Pomoola had been messing with folks prior to this. And it was the guide for Cluey’s hunting party, Hugh Watson. A few years earlier, Watson a longtime woodsman, came back from a hunt only to find a whole group of these Pomoolas tearing up his camp. Luckily Watson was able to hide out in the woods for the rest of the evening until they left. Again when he mentioned the incident to his friends he was made aware how lucky he was to escape with his life. It obviously wasn’t established yet that Pomoolas preferred dark meat.

The most recent sighting took place in 1988 when a group of Boy Scouts hiking Mount Katahdin, and six campers saw the hairy one about half way up the mountain collecting roots. They all described a creature with broad shoulders, a tan triangular face and reddish fur. When the Pomoola realized he was being watched he reportedly started making terrifying noise. One of the Boy Scouts also said that a “smell of rotten eggs” filled the air and actually lingered in the area for hours after the creature had disappeared. Could this be some sort of defense mechanism? Who knows. But when hiking on or around Mount Katahdin beware of the Pomoola or at least hope he’s been fed.

Rose Hall today.

All the wickedness would finally catch up with her when she took the life of a young man who was to be married to the daughter of a powerful voodoo practitioner. This man would battle Annie not only with his fists but with his voodoo magic, eventually killing her. Annie was buried in a specially designed tomb that would keep her sinister soul trapped. Unfortunately one of the slaves didn’t get it right, and Annie’s spirit roams Rose Hall to this day. Nice job buddy. So in 1971 a group of psychics came to Rose Hall to try and trap Annie’s spirit. But still, no success, she still roams.

Annie's tomb

Some of the phenomenon reported at Rose Hall are doors slamming on their own, men screaming, crying babies, the scent of dried blood, apparitions, visions in mirrors, footsteps in the main hall, and even sightings of Annie herself riding her prized black stallion. But be forewarned, legend has it that not only Annie still roams the plantation but all her many victims.

The Axe House

So you want to stay overnight at a haunted house? How about a house where an entire family of 6, and 2 family guests were bludgeoned to death by ax. Well that’s what you’ll get if you stay at the J.B. Moore residence, also known as the Villisca Axe Murder House. On June 10, 1912, in the middle of the night, a lunatic snuck into the home of J.B. Moore in Villisca, Iowa, and brutally murdered the Moore family along with two other children who were there as guests of the Moore children. It appeared that all the victims had been killed in their sleep since all were still in their beds. The weapon, later to be identified as J.B. Moore’s ax was found leaning up against the wall near the bodies of the two house guests. Although the local police had many suspects, the case is still unsolved to this day.

Now as far as the paranormal activity goes, a few claim that there isn’t any haunting at all and it’s just a scam to create some dough for the current owner. But there have been documented incidents starting back in 1930′s, when a young couple reported seeing visions of a man with an ax at the end of their bed. In the late 60′s and into the early seventies a family reported sounds of crying children along with dresser drawers opening by themselves. Later in 2007, Tru TV’s Haunting Evidence, starring paranormal investigator Patrick Burns, would shoot an episode there. And the activity appears to continue as you can go on-line and find tons of EVPs and videos of current investigations.

The Axe House today

The house has been restored by the current owner and is open for tours. And if you really want the full paranormal affect, well then you can bring your jammies and stay overnight. It’ll cost ya a minimum of $300.00 which allows for 5 guests. Then each additional guest is an additional $60.00. Not bad considering some report the sounds of dripping blood.

Tour Info.