Shawna Boswell
Ms. Terrell
Honors English 11
May 12, 2010
“Do Ghosts Really Exist?”
A controversial topic I have always been curious about is the debate over whether ghosts really do exist. I have family members and friends with stories that back up their opinion on why they do believe, but I also have an equal amount of others who think the idea of ghosts is ridiculous. Because I was too scared I would freak myself out, I never pursued any further research to try and make an official decision for myself. Usually I would just tell people that I was not sure if I believed or not, however, if I ever attended a supposedly “haunted” place, I was terrified. In my research project, I decided it would be more beneficial to visit Bass Cemetery for interaction instead of an interview. This way, if it really was haunted, I would have a chance of experiencing an actual ghost. Visiting Bass was by far the most interesting part of my entire project. It was scary, and we did not actually see any ghosts, however we did capture some orbs in the pictures we took. We also heard a scream in the woods. That definitely resulted in a full-out sprint to our car and speedy exit out of the cemetery. Technically, I did not learn anything while I was there, but I did learn something very interesting throughout this project. Throughout my life, I have always assumed that a ghost and an apparition were one and the same. It was not until I read a chapter called “Ghosts and Apparitions” from The Mystery Library: Haunted Houses, that I understood the difference. A ghost is simply a depiction of a person who has passed away or an object that no longer exists and can appear repeatedly for years. Usually, ghosts are unaware of others watching them, as well. In contrast, an apparition is figure of a person, place, or thing that appears solid but is not actually present. Apparitions are almost always aware of their surroundings and can appear anywhere, while a ghost would usually only appear in a specific place. This definitely caught my attention considering I never knew there was a distinction between the two. It did not, however, make a huge impact on my final opinion.
My ultimate conclusion, after researching whether ghosts do exist or not, is still somewhat hazy. I do think that if I had to make a decision, I would say that ghosts are real. Before I even started this project I tended to be more of a believer in ghosts than I gave myself credit for. I never realized how scared I actually got, and there is no reason why I would be scared unless I believed that ghosts existed just a little. Throughout this project, I found much more information, including scientific data, pictures, stories, and proof on how and why ghosts do exist instead of why they do not. However, I think more than anything, I learned more details about ghosts. I learned the different aspects, types, and varieties of them, as well as the different views people have toward them. While some see them in more of a spiritual realm, others see them more supernaturally. It is a lot more complex than I ever thought it would be. Throughout all the details, though, everything still lead to some sort of explanation as to how or why ghosts do exist, and in the end, it persuaded me to think so, too.
Overall, I do not think there is anything I would have done differently during this project relating to my research. I found very informative chapters and websites, interesting pictures, and a fantastic novel that provided me with a scientific outlook on my topic. I was also able to watch a couple of scary movies and visit a haunted place which was a thrill in itself. Although, I do regret waiting until the night before almost every due date to post my blog. Karli Estock would spend the night, and we stayed up, on average, until about two in the morning so we could each post our blogs because we were too scared to do them that late by ourselves. I also wish I would have taken a more positive outlook on my topic so I would not have been so scared from the beginning of my project. However, I have no regrets. I enjoyed learning about my topic and this project, altogether.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
"Are Ghosts Real?" truthaboutdeath.com. n.p., 2010. Web. 21 April 2010.
After reading through a page titled "Are Ghosts Real?" on the website Truth About Death- which has an unknown author- I learned that, today, many people believe that ghost sighting and haunting are increasing. However, they refuse to believe in the supernatural. Because of this, many are confuse as to what these sights actually are. IN order to find out exactly what these apparitions are, the only way one can truly know is by reading the Bible. Many websites claim to have videos and picture of such ghosts and spirits. While a lot of these are fake, some actually seem to be real. However, it clearly states in Job 7:9-10, "He that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. he shall return no more to his house." This only helps prove that these are not spirits coming back from the dead. Instead, the devil is responsible for placing such things in the eyes of the living to cause fear. People who refuse to believe in an sort of apparitions are in the most danger because of their susceptibility to being deceived the easiest from seeing any sort of ghost. Thus, these ghosts are only the evil angels of the devil, sent to deceive God's followers.
This website definitely provided me with a different view of ghosts. I always though they were either real or not real. I never considered the fact that they may be real but not actual dead spirits. Instead they are the evil angels from the devil meant to trick us. This source provided numerous Bible verses to supports its theory on ghosts, and I felt like it was very persuading. I believe the Bible is the truth, and I live my life by it. To me, evidence from God's Work is the best proof there is. Personally, I felt like this website was very helpful by providing me with a different and reliable viewpoint.
After reading through a page titled "Are Ghosts Real?" on the website Truth About Death- which has an unknown author- I learned that, today, many people believe that ghost sighting and haunting are increasing. However, they refuse to believe in the supernatural. Because of this, many are confuse as to what these sights actually are. IN order to find out exactly what these apparitions are, the only way one can truly know is by reading the Bible. Many websites claim to have videos and picture of such ghosts and spirits. While a lot of these are fake, some actually seem to be real. However, it clearly states in Job 7:9-10, "He that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. he shall return no more to his house." This only helps prove that these are not spirits coming back from the dead. Instead, the devil is responsible for placing such things in the eyes of the living to cause fear. People who refuse to believe in an sort of apparitions are in the most danger because of their susceptibility to being deceived the easiest from seeing any sort of ghost. Thus, these ghosts are only the evil angels of the devil, sent to deceive God's followers.
This website definitely provided me with a different view of ghosts. I always though they were either real or not real. I never considered the fact that they may be real but not actual dead spirits. Instead they are the evil angels from the devil meant to trick us. This source provided numerous Bible verses to supports its theory on ghosts, and I felt like it was very persuading. I believe the Bible is the truth, and I live my life by it. To me, evidence from God's Work is the best proof there is. Personally, I felt like this website was very helpful by providing me with a different and reliable viewpoint.
Ghosts, Apparitions, and Their Aspects
"Ghosts and Apparitions." The Mystery Library: Haunted Houses. Patricia D. Netzley. United States of America: Lucent Books, Inc., 2000. 13-29. Print.
When referring to ghosts, many people do not understand that there is a distinct difference between a ghost and an apparition. A ghost is always a representation of an object that ceases to exist or a person who has died. Also, a ghost can appear for years. An apparitions is a figure or image of a place, person, or thing that is seen as solid but is not really there. In comparison to ghosts, apparitions are only seen for a short period of time. There are different types of apparitions, as well. One common type of apparition is called a crisis apparition. This is an image of a person who is about to die or just had passes, and it usually only occurs one time to a person who has a close relationship with the person passing. Another type of distinction between ghosts and apparitions, is how, or if, they communicate. Apparitions seem to know that they can be seen by the living, are aware of their surrounding, and tend to communicate. They usually have a purpose for communicating with that specific person, such as giving a warning or revealing something hidden. After their message is given, the apparition will vanish forever. Ghosts, however, appear to be oblivious to those watching them and rarely communicate at all. Thirdly, while apparitions can be seen anywhere that the person intended to see it is, ghosts usually have a close tie with the place they appear. Many ghosts haunt the place they died. For example, Westover Plantation in Virginia has been the sit of numerous deaths, from suicides to fatal accidents. Each spirit haunts the area where he or she died. Other ghosts may linger in other places closely related to them while living, such as where they may have worked. Ghosts and apparitions, however, claim to have been caught on photographs. The first reported spirit photograph was taken in 1862. After this picture was taken, many more of the same started to show up. A lot of people were accused of being frauds by creating a ghostly image in the film by using a technique called double exposure. Other pictures that seem to have a ghost in them can be explained. However, there are pictures that remain a mystery as to how something ghost-like appeared while the environment the picture was taken in could not, in any way, have affected something like that to show up on film According to Hans Holzer, "We still don't know all of the conditions that make these extraordinary photographs possible and, until we do, obtaining them will be a hit-and-miss affair at best" (Ghosts 24-25). Lastly, imaginations and telepathy are often theories to why ghosts and apparitions claim to be seen. Parapsychologists believe that any apparition of ghost being seen, is simply created by the experient, or person seeing the ghost. Other theories include a deceased person's spirit either sending and image telepathically or leaving one behind for living person to see. For example, former deceased house owners may leave behind images that future owners see of experience themselves. Such distinctions make clear whether someone is seeing a ghost, an apparition, or is intended to receive some sort of message.
This article was very beneficial to my research project overall. Not only did the author provide researched example of the different things she was explaining, but she also included quites from respectable professional. I never understood the difference between apparitions and ghosts, but now i am able to clearly see the contrast between the two. Now, when i watch ghost shows or read stories, I will definitely have a better understanding of what they may be seeing. Also, when the book mentioned such things as certain houses obtaining telepathic messages or images left by the deceased for future owners, I knew exactly what it was talking about. Stories such as The Amityville Horror or The Haunting in Connecticut are both said to be based on true stories and contain ghosts that have a past with the house. These ghosts affect the current owners of the house by allowing them to see or feel certain things. Overall, I think this chapter was incredibly helpful and I do believe it swayed my opinion a little more towards ghosts being real.
When referring to ghosts, many people do not understand that there is a distinct difference between a ghost and an apparition. A ghost is always a representation of an object that ceases to exist or a person who has died. Also, a ghost can appear for years. An apparitions is a figure or image of a place, person, or thing that is seen as solid but is not really there. In comparison to ghosts, apparitions are only seen for a short period of time. There are different types of apparitions, as well. One common type of apparition is called a crisis apparition. This is an image of a person who is about to die or just had passes, and it usually only occurs one time to a person who has a close relationship with the person passing. Another type of distinction between ghosts and apparitions, is how, or if, they communicate. Apparitions seem to know that they can be seen by the living, are aware of their surrounding, and tend to communicate. They usually have a purpose for communicating with that specific person, such as giving a warning or revealing something hidden. After their message is given, the apparition will vanish forever. Ghosts, however, appear to be oblivious to those watching them and rarely communicate at all. Thirdly, while apparitions can be seen anywhere that the person intended to see it is, ghosts usually have a close tie with the place they appear. Many ghosts haunt the place they died. For example, Westover Plantation in Virginia has been the sit of numerous deaths, from suicides to fatal accidents. Each spirit haunts the area where he or she died. Other ghosts may linger in other places closely related to them while living, such as where they may have worked. Ghosts and apparitions, however, claim to have been caught on photographs. The first reported spirit photograph was taken in 1862. After this picture was taken, many more of the same started to show up. A lot of people were accused of being frauds by creating a ghostly image in the film by using a technique called double exposure. Other pictures that seem to have a ghost in them can be explained. However, there are pictures that remain a mystery as to how something ghost-like appeared while the environment the picture was taken in could not, in any way, have affected something like that to show up on film According to Hans Holzer, "We still don't know all of the conditions that make these extraordinary photographs possible and, until we do, obtaining them will be a hit-and-miss affair at best" (Ghosts 24-25). Lastly, imaginations and telepathy are often theories to why ghosts and apparitions claim to be seen. Parapsychologists believe that any apparition of ghost being seen, is simply created by the experient, or person seeing the ghost. Other theories include a deceased person's spirit either sending and image telepathically or leaving one behind for living person to see. For example, former deceased house owners may leave behind images that future owners see of experience themselves. Such distinctions make clear whether someone is seeing a ghost, an apparition, or is intended to receive some sort of message.
This article was very beneficial to my research project overall. Not only did the author provide researched example of the different things she was explaining, but she also included quites from respectable professional. I never understood the difference between apparitions and ghosts, but now i am able to clearly see the contrast between the two. Now, when i watch ghost shows or read stories, I will definitely have a better understanding of what they may be seeing. Also, when the book mentioned such things as certain houses obtaining telepathic messages or images left by the deceased for future owners, I knew exactly what it was talking about. Stories such as The Amityville Horror or The Haunting in Connecticut are both said to be based on true stories and contain ghosts that have a past with the house. These ghosts affect the current owners of the house by allowing them to see or feel certain things. Overall, I think this chapter was incredibly helpful and I do believe it swayed my opinion a little more towards ghosts being real.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
BONUS MATERIAL!
One night, we were also at Bradlie Gaiser's house, when we encountered an actual ghost. We got in on camera. Watch at your own risk.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=417900153625&subj=658734688
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=417900153625&subj=658734688
Bass Cemetery
There's an orb in the top right corner!
A few of the graves.
Close up on some graves.One night, Bradlie Gaiser, Tatum Buzbee, Karli Estock, and I all vistited Bass Cemetery in Birmingham, Alabama. It was a chilly and clear Saturday night when we went. Jake Fagan and John Huffman drove us, and tried to act brave, but they were just as scared as us. I think we freaked ourselves out more than need be. We only walked around a few graves, and Karli took a picture of us. We did hear some noises in the woods. They were scream-like noises, but not blood-curdling. After we heard the noises, we took off. We had made a video, too, but it was too dark to see anything.
Bass Cemetery is over two hundred years old and is the grave site of numerous slaves and Civil War soldiers. It is said to be haunted. Many have reported going out to the cemetery at night and seeing ghosts, hearing screams and other strange noises, and finding animal corpses. People practicing satanist rituals have also been seen here at night. This causes differing opinions of the cemetery actually being haunted. Some believe it is the souls of the deceased who are buried there, while other believe it is simply evil from the horrid practices of satanists and people involved with the occult. We visited on a Saturday night, and took pictures. Although we never saw any dead animals, satanists, or ghosts, we did hear noises and captured a few orbs in our pictures. I am not sure if the orbs were supernatural or just dust particles reflecting light. Either way, it definitely freaked me out. I do not think it had a major effect on my opinion of ghosts existing or not. Although we never saw any, I was praying the whole time that I wouldn't see any, because I was so scared. So, I do not think it made me believe in them any less. Overall, I learned a lot about the haunted Bass Cemetery, but I do not think it majorly effected my overall view of ghosts existing or not.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Hawes, Jason, Wilson, Grant, and Friedman, Jan. Ghost Hunting: True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena from the Atlantic Paranormal Society. New York: Pocket Books, 2007. Print.
Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are two plumbers that started the ghost-hunting organization known as The Atlantic Paranormal Society (T.A.P.S.) Jason first started experiencing supernatural activity and apparitions after getting involved with his girlfriend’s idea of life-force energy. Unsure how to deal with such activity, Jason started the Rhode Island Paranormal Society (R.I.P.S.). After Grant offered to redesign R.I.P.S.’s website for free, he began to explain his own ghost encounters with Jason. From there, Jason and Grant’s friendship grew until they began T.A.P.S. They gained a crew of specialists including EVP specialists, a born-again Christian able to perform exorcisms, and an environmental engineer, to name a few. The purpose of T.A.P.S. is to investigate reported hauntings, whether they are simple or complex, and to help the people involved with the hauntings. After receiving a phone call, the T.A.P.S. crew travels to the place reported, and performs tests, recordings, EVP’s, and numerous other techniques and experiments in order to determine whether the haunting is legitimate or not. Jason and Grant make it a point throughout the book that their job is to approach the idea of a haunting as scientifically as possible. They try to find rational explanations for every sound, light, breeze, and any other abnormal activity seen. By doing this, if a rational explanation is not found, they are able to further their investigation and prove that the place is, in fact, haunted. According to Jason Hawes, “In every investigation, we collect a wealth of data through different types of cameras, meters, and voice recorders, and from observations and reports of strange experiences” (Hawes 14). With such strong scientific approaches and involvement, T.A.P.S. is able to provide reliable proof that hauntings and ghosts do exist. Their goal as an organization is to use their scientific observations and accuracy to help enhance the scientific study of the paranormal. Throughout this novel, Jason and Grant tell numerous cases in which they have gone to study reported hauntings including possessions, incubuses, orbs, and spirits both benign and harmful. Many times, the people involved with the place being haunted had an exorcism performed to release the spirits. Sometimes these spirits were even brought upon by the humans themselves because of an involvement with the occult using Ouija boards, black magic, etc. When telling these stories, Jason and Grant explain each of their hypothesizes at the beginning, their scientific approaches and observations, the data they gained, and their conclusions. Today, they continue to plumb along side their ghost hunting that can be seen in television show “Ghost Hunters” on the Sci-Fi channel.
This novel is by far the best piece of research I have used in this project. Jason and Grant start off explaining their ghost-hunting program. While I had seen their TV show before, I have always been a little skeptical about those “ghost-hunting” shows. A lot of times the directors play up the noises and images to entertain an audience more. However, I had no idea that T.A.P.S. was a well respected organization before the show. They have numerous stories throughout the novel that I have never seen on the show that help prove the reality of what is shown on their show. They also provide the actual names of the people involved with each study, along with the location of the haunting. This also helps me to believe that what they are explaining is not made up. They also explained their scientific approach in each case. They went into detail to tell the reader what equipment they used, what they saw, heard, felt, and how they dealt with it. By being so specific and in depth, I found it much easier to believe that they had been dealing with actual supernatural activities and ghosts. Not only did I find myself believing them, I also was learning quite a bit throughout their stories.
While they explained each story, I learned that there was a lot more the ghosts than just seeing an apparition. Ghosts are not just spirits, but supernatural energies. Such things as orbs, which T.A.P.S. does not believe in, are associated with ghosts, but are not often known as the balls of energy that they actually are. While I have always been a little unsure about evil spirits, I found out through a few of their cases, that by experimenting with black magic, Ouija boards, or any other occult related activities, one can unknowingly invite such evil spirits into his or her home. Also, there are such spirits called incubuses. I had only known Incubus to be a band before reading this novel. However, I found out that an incubus is a spirit that lies on a person while he or she is asleep in order to perform sexual activity with them. That definitely freaked me out. I could also relate much of my previous knowledge to some of their other cases. For example, I have read in other books that hauntings are usually tied to a specific place because of the spirit or spirits’ relations with it. Almost every story I read throughout this novel involved spirits that were haunting a place because of a past the spirit had had with it. Jason and Grant presented research they had found when they studied the location’s history to support the conclusion of the tie, as well. Overall, this novel definitely helped in my persuasion to believe in ghosts because of their scientific approach to the study of ghosts and the paranormal alike.
Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are two plumbers that started the ghost-hunting organization known as The Atlantic Paranormal Society (T.A.P.S.) Jason first started experiencing supernatural activity and apparitions after getting involved with his girlfriend’s idea of life-force energy. Unsure how to deal with such activity, Jason started the Rhode Island Paranormal Society (R.I.P.S.). After Grant offered to redesign R.I.P.S.’s website for free, he began to explain his own ghost encounters with Jason. From there, Jason and Grant’s friendship grew until they began T.A.P.S. They gained a crew of specialists including EVP specialists, a born-again Christian able to perform exorcisms, and an environmental engineer, to name a few. The purpose of T.A.P.S. is to investigate reported hauntings, whether they are simple or complex, and to help the people involved with the hauntings. After receiving a phone call, the T.A.P.S. crew travels to the place reported, and performs tests, recordings, EVP’s, and numerous other techniques and experiments in order to determine whether the haunting is legitimate or not. Jason and Grant make it a point throughout the book that their job is to approach the idea of a haunting as scientifically as possible. They try to find rational explanations for every sound, light, breeze, and any other abnormal activity seen. By doing this, if a rational explanation is not found, they are able to further their investigation and prove that the place is, in fact, haunted. According to Jason Hawes, “In every investigation, we collect a wealth of data through different types of cameras, meters, and voice recorders, and from observations and reports of strange experiences” (Hawes 14). With such strong scientific approaches and involvement, T.A.P.S. is able to provide reliable proof that hauntings and ghosts do exist. Their goal as an organization is to use their scientific observations and accuracy to help enhance the scientific study of the paranormal. Throughout this novel, Jason and Grant tell numerous cases in which they have gone to study reported hauntings including possessions, incubuses, orbs, and spirits both benign and harmful. Many times, the people involved with the place being haunted had an exorcism performed to release the spirits. Sometimes these spirits were even brought upon by the humans themselves because of an involvement with the occult using Ouija boards, black magic, etc. When telling these stories, Jason and Grant explain each of their hypothesizes at the beginning, their scientific approaches and observations, the data they gained, and their conclusions. Today, they continue to plumb along side their ghost hunting that can be seen in television show “Ghost Hunters” on the Sci-Fi channel.
This novel is by far the best piece of research I have used in this project. Jason and Grant start off explaining their ghost-hunting program. While I had seen their TV show before, I have always been a little skeptical about those “ghost-hunting” shows. A lot of times the directors play up the noises and images to entertain an audience more. However, I had no idea that T.A.P.S. was a well respected organization before the show. They have numerous stories throughout the novel that I have never seen on the show that help prove the reality of what is shown on their show. They also provide the actual names of the people involved with each study, along with the location of the haunting. This also helps me to believe that what they are explaining is not made up. They also explained their scientific approach in each case. They went into detail to tell the reader what equipment they used, what they saw, heard, felt, and how they dealt with it. By being so specific and in depth, I found it much easier to believe that they had been dealing with actual supernatural activities and ghosts. Not only did I find myself believing them, I also was learning quite a bit throughout their stories.
While they explained each story, I learned that there was a lot more the ghosts than just seeing an apparition. Ghosts are not just spirits, but supernatural energies. Such things as orbs, which T.A.P.S. does not believe in, are associated with ghosts, but are not often known as the balls of energy that they actually are. While I have always been a little unsure about evil spirits, I found out through a few of their cases, that by experimenting with black magic, Ouija boards, or any other occult related activities, one can unknowingly invite such evil spirits into his or her home. Also, there are such spirits called incubuses. I had only known Incubus to be a band before reading this novel. However, I found out that an incubus is a spirit that lies on a person while he or she is asleep in order to perform sexual activity with them. That definitely freaked me out. I could also relate much of my previous knowledge to some of their other cases. For example, I have read in other books that hauntings are usually tied to a specific place because of the spirit or spirits’ relations with it. Almost every story I read throughout this novel involved spirits that were haunting a place because of a past the spirit had had with it. Jason and Grant presented research they had found when they studied the location’s history to support the conclusion of the tie, as well. Overall, this novel definitely helped in my persuasion to believe in ghosts because of their scientific approach to the study of ghosts and the paranormal alike.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror. Dir. Andrew Douglas. Dimension Films, 2005. Film.
Set in Long Island, New York in the 1970's, George Lutz, his wife Kathy, and Kathy's three kids, all move into a beautiful home on the river. The house was being sold for a remarkably cheap price, but because of a catch. Years before, a family had been brutally murdered in the house by one of the family members. Supposedly, the son of the family, Ron, was hearing voices from the house, that lead him to killing his six family members. The Lutz's, however, never thought much of it. Soon after, they began hearing strange noises. Kathy's daughter kept ending up in potentially dangerous situations and was constantly talking about some imaginary friend she had named Jodie. Jodie was actually the ghost of one of Ron's sisters who was murdered years before. However, this seemed simple compared to the way George began to act. George began to hear "the voices," too. He became very angry, aggressive, and nearly violent. A Father even came to bless the house. After doing as much as he could, the Father was terrified and screamed, "Mr. Lutz, get you and your family out of that house! Right now!" When a Father tells you to get out, something is really wrong. On the twenty-eighth day, George almost killed the family. Right when he was about to hit Kathy with an axe, he realized what he was doing. George, Kathy, and the children were able to escape the house. They left the house, as well as all of their personal items, and never came back.
The Amityville Horror is said to be based on a true story. When it was first written as a novel, the Lutz's told their story on numerous talk shows and other public events. However, no other family to ever live in the house experienced what the Lutz family did. Personally, I am not quite sure whether I completely believe their house was haunted. I think I do, because the movie was not just based off of a story told, but the family members were able to all share the story themselves. Unless it was for attention, I think they were telling the truth. However, I am not sure how this affects my belief in ghosts compared to all my previous research. I do not think it really swayed me one way or the other. Overall, it was a great movie, and I believe the Lutz family was telling the truth.
Set in Long Island, New York in the 1970's, George Lutz, his wife Kathy, and Kathy's three kids, all move into a beautiful home on the river. The house was being sold for a remarkably cheap price, but because of a catch. Years before, a family had been brutally murdered in the house by one of the family members. Supposedly, the son of the family, Ron, was hearing voices from the house, that lead him to killing his six family members. The Lutz's, however, never thought much of it. Soon after, they began hearing strange noises. Kathy's daughter kept ending up in potentially dangerous situations and was constantly talking about some imaginary friend she had named Jodie. Jodie was actually the ghost of one of Ron's sisters who was murdered years before. However, this seemed simple compared to the way George began to act. George began to hear "the voices," too. He became very angry, aggressive, and nearly violent. A Father even came to bless the house. After doing as much as he could, the Father was terrified and screamed, "Mr. Lutz, get you and your family out of that house! Right now!" When a Father tells you to get out, something is really wrong. On the twenty-eighth day, George almost killed the family. Right when he was about to hit Kathy with an axe, he realized what he was doing. George, Kathy, and the children were able to escape the house. They left the house, as well as all of their personal items, and never came back.
The Amityville Horror is said to be based on a true story. When it was first written as a novel, the Lutz's told their story on numerous talk shows and other public events. However, no other family to ever live in the house experienced what the Lutz family did. Personally, I am not quite sure whether I completely believe their house was haunted. I think I do, because the movie was not just based off of a story told, but the family members were able to all share the story themselves. Unless it was for attention, I think they were telling the truth. However, I am not sure how this affects my belief in ghosts compared to all my previous research. I do not think it really swayed me one way or the other. Overall, it was a great movie, and I believe the Lutz family was telling the truth.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Are we deceiving ourselves?
Rothschild, Bertram. "Belief in Ghosts is Merely Self-Deception." Ghosts and Poltergeists: Fact or Fiction. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Greenhaven Press, 2003. 78-82. Print.
In "Belief in Ghosts is Merely Self-Deception" by Bertram Rothschild, Bertram confesses how he "almost" believed in ghosts. Rothschild is a clinical psychologist and a lifelong skeptic. He has always considered such things as supernatural powers and magic to be foolish. One evening, however, while laying in bed, Bertram's bedroom door opened. Thinking it was his wife at first, he was not very concerned. Soon after, he realized his wife was downstairs, making it impossible for her to open the door. When he could not immediately come up with a logical answer to how the door opened, he began to jump to the conclusion that it was a ghost. Over the next few days, he and his wife began hearing strange noises. While Bertram and his wife joked that it was "the ghost," he soon began to freak himself out. Then, he decided to reject the ghost idea all together and wondered how he could even consider such a thing. The noises he heard were simply moans and groans from the house, but, already scared, his mind started to convince him otherwise. As for the door opening, he came to the conclusion that he did not have to have an explanation just to prove it was not a ghost. Bertram realized that when he could not come up with a reasonable explanation, his imagination took over. He uses a comparison from his childhood explaining that when he asked his mom how thunder and lightning were made, she said that "clouds bumped into each other, producing a spark and noise"(Rothschild 82). Bertram then states, "How many more subtle explanations have I (or you) lived by, never noticing their absurdity?"(Rothschild 82). So, after a short period of almost believing in spirits, Bertram easily convinced himself otherwise.
While so far I've only read things about how ghosts are real, this is the first thing I've read from an opposing side. I am undecided on if ghosts are real or not to begin with, but I tend to sway a certain way depending on what I am reading or watching at that specific moment. When I first started reading this, I did not think it would be very helpful or persuading as to why ghosts are not real. However, after Rothschild describes his event, he explains why he believed it was a ghost very quickly and precisely. When he could not come up with an immediate answer, his mind began to think the worst. Is that not what we all have a tendency to do as human beings? If a loved one is late to an event and does not call, you automatically worry, thinking the worst. In the same way, Rothschild, who has never even considered ghosts to be real, suddenly began to second guess himself. I am not convinced that ghosts are not real by this article, however, Bertram provides a great explanation that I think, in his case, would actually not involve any ghosts.
In "Belief in Ghosts is Merely Self-Deception" by Bertram Rothschild, Bertram confesses how he "almost" believed in ghosts. Rothschild is a clinical psychologist and a lifelong skeptic. He has always considered such things as supernatural powers and magic to be foolish. One evening, however, while laying in bed, Bertram's bedroom door opened. Thinking it was his wife at first, he was not very concerned. Soon after, he realized his wife was downstairs, making it impossible for her to open the door. When he could not immediately come up with a logical answer to how the door opened, he began to jump to the conclusion that it was a ghost. Over the next few days, he and his wife began hearing strange noises. While Bertram and his wife joked that it was "the ghost," he soon began to freak himself out. Then, he decided to reject the ghost idea all together and wondered how he could even consider such a thing. The noises he heard were simply moans and groans from the house, but, already scared, his mind started to convince him otherwise. As for the door opening, he came to the conclusion that he did not have to have an explanation just to prove it was not a ghost. Bertram realized that when he could not come up with a reasonable explanation, his imagination took over. He uses a comparison from his childhood explaining that when he asked his mom how thunder and lightning were made, she said that "clouds bumped into each other, producing a spark and noise"(Rothschild 82). Bertram then states, "How many more subtle explanations have I (or you) lived by, never noticing their absurdity?"(Rothschild 82). So, after a short period of almost believing in spirits, Bertram easily convinced himself otherwise.
While so far I've only read things about how ghosts are real, this is the first thing I've read from an opposing side. I am undecided on if ghosts are real or not to begin with, but I tend to sway a certain way depending on what I am reading or watching at that specific moment. When I first started reading this, I did not think it would be very helpful or persuading as to why ghosts are not real. However, after Rothschild describes his event, he explains why he believed it was a ghost very quickly and precisely. When he could not come up with an immediate answer, his mind began to think the worst. Is that not what we all have a tendency to do as human beings? If a loved one is late to an event and does not call, you automatically worry, thinking the worst. In the same way, Rothschild, who has never even considered ghosts to be real, suddenly began to second guess himself. I am not convinced that ghosts are not real by this article, however, Bertram provides a great explanation that I think, in his case, would actually not involve any ghosts.
The Haunting in Connecticut
The Haunting in Connecticut. Dir. Peter Cornwell. Lionsgate, 2009. Film.
In The Haunting in Connecticut, Matt Campbell is suffering from cancer and has started an experimental treatment at a hospital hours away. The driving each day becomes a strain on him, as well as his family, so they buy a house in Connecticut that's much closer to the hospital. Suspicious of why they were able to get the house for such a good deal, the Campbells soon find out that their new house was once a funeral home. It was at that house that the dead were prepared for his or her burial and photographed for the last time with the deceased's family members. Soon after, the Campbells discover something even more terrifying. The funeral home's owner's assistant, Jonah, was used as a medium to communicate with the deceased. While the owner had his own obsession with a dark magic, he would dig up bodies from cemeteries, do horrid things to the corpses, and use Jonah's gift to try and obtain power from this magic. The spirits that were once in the bodies that the owner had taken, were now furious and eventually killed the owner, as well as Jonah. Jonah sets out to try and save Matt and his family by allowing Matt to see what Jonah went through years before. Matt even states, "I wake up in the middle of the night, and it feels like he's been inside me, looking out through my eyes." However, instead of escaping, Matt deals with the angry spirits lingering in the house. He discovers the corpses stacked in the walls, and after breaking the walls down, sets the house on fire. By burning the house, he allows the angry souls to finally be free. Soon after, Matt's cancer disappeared and the house is said to be perfectly normal to this day.
The Haunting in Connecticut, is said to be based on true events that happened to a family in Connecticut. After the deceased's bodies had been taken advantage of and not left in peace, their angry spirits lingered in the house with vengeance. Personally, I'm not sure if the entire storyline is true. Obviously, Hollywood spiced up the movie to make it scary and more entertaining. The real story it was based on was probably less dramatic, but I do believe that some of it has potential to be real. First of all, it makes sense for a funeral home to be haunted in some form or fashion. While I'm sure many are not, being that a funeral home is constantly filled with the deceased, presences of those people may not be uncommon. However, they most likely are spirits at peace. Being that such inhumane things were performed in the house, I believe that it is possible that this house could have been haunted. Also, Jonah was there for a reason. He was not just a lingering spirit, but a spirit trying to warn and save the Campbell family. Overall, I'm not completely convinced that this entire movie was based on a true story, but I do think it's possible that aspects of it may have been based on real events.
In The Haunting in Connecticut, Matt Campbell is suffering from cancer and has started an experimental treatment at a hospital hours away. The driving each day becomes a strain on him, as well as his family, so they buy a house in Connecticut that's much closer to the hospital. Suspicious of why they were able to get the house for such a good deal, the Campbells soon find out that their new house was once a funeral home. It was at that house that the dead were prepared for his or her burial and photographed for the last time with the deceased's family members. Soon after, the Campbells discover something even more terrifying. The funeral home's owner's assistant, Jonah, was used as a medium to communicate with the deceased. While the owner had his own obsession with a dark magic, he would dig up bodies from cemeteries, do horrid things to the corpses, and use Jonah's gift to try and obtain power from this magic. The spirits that were once in the bodies that the owner had taken, were now furious and eventually killed the owner, as well as Jonah. Jonah sets out to try and save Matt and his family by allowing Matt to see what Jonah went through years before. Matt even states, "I wake up in the middle of the night, and it feels like he's been inside me, looking out through my eyes." However, instead of escaping, Matt deals with the angry spirits lingering in the house. He discovers the corpses stacked in the walls, and after breaking the walls down, sets the house on fire. By burning the house, he allows the angry souls to finally be free. Soon after, Matt's cancer disappeared and the house is said to be perfectly normal to this day.
The Haunting in Connecticut, is said to be based on true events that happened to a family in Connecticut. After the deceased's bodies had been taken advantage of and not left in peace, their angry spirits lingered in the house with vengeance. Personally, I'm not sure if the entire storyline is true. Obviously, Hollywood spiced up the movie to make it scary and more entertaining. The real story it was based on was probably less dramatic, but I do believe that some of it has potential to be real. First of all, it makes sense for a funeral home to be haunted in some form or fashion. While I'm sure many are not, being that a funeral home is constantly filled with the deceased, presences of those people may not be uncommon. However, they most likely are spirits at peace. Being that such inhumane things were performed in the house, I believe that it is possible that this house could have been haunted. Also, Jonah was there for a reason. He was not just a lingering spirit, but a spirit trying to warn and save the Campbell family. Overall, I'm not completely convinced that this entire movie was based on a true story, but I do think it's possible that aspects of it may have been based on real events.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Kallen, Stuart A. "Ghosts Throughout the Ages." The Mystery Library: Ghosts. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Lucent Books, 2004. 14-29. Print.
Ghosts have been reported for centuries and interpreted in different ways by different cultures. While today, many are unsure if ghosts are harmful, peaceful, or why their presence is among the living in the first place, many different groups of people throughout the years have had their own ideas, as well. For example, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics contained many pictures of ghosts. They believed that the soul was made of up to nine parts; two of these nine parts, ba and ka, stayed after one's death to protect the corpse. The ba stayed at the burial ground, while the ka would haunt the living if a priest failed to make it a daily offering of food and and drink. If made mad enough, the ka would kill many people, including small children. In Greece, one's ghost was said to take form of a bat and fly to the underworld, or Hades. These ghosts remained in the underworld and complained constantly about the loss of their lives they once enjoyed. From time to time, ceremonies would be held to call up such ancestors' ghosts to receive advice. However, these ghosts would become mischievous if the Greeks did not hold their annual festival for the dead. This festival, Anthesteria, was to help ensure that such spirits remained in the underworld. Throughout the Middle Ages, many Europeans had become very strong Christians, but suffered from many hardships. Throughout starvation, disease, and war, many were surrounded by death and ghosts of ones who had died. The grim reaper soon became the scariest ghost of all. He was said to appear to a person and force them to face his or her own death. The grim reaper would then perform a dance with its victim and say to him or her, "As I am you will be." Towards the end of the 1400's, many Protestants viewed reports of apparitions to be untruthful. By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, anyone claiming to have seen a spirit was considered to be drunk or suffering from a mental and/or physical illness. Many were also accused of witchcraft. Finally, during the nineteenth century, or Victorian era, ghosts began to become accepted once again. Newspapers and books became constantly filled with reports of ghostly encounters. Apparition reports became so popular that in London, in 1882, Sir William Barrett and Edmund Dawson Rogers even established the Society for Psychical Research. Today, Hollywood portrays ghosts throughout the media as harmful, humorous, and peaceful. High-tech equipment is used to play up stories and images in order to give viewers a more entertaining experience. Throughout the centuries, while many different cultures and religions have viewed spirits as harmful, harmless, mischievous, and peaceful, all believers seem to all share a common outlook on spirits. They all are believed to be simply the souls of the deceased, lingering among the living on earth. According to Kallen, "Ghosts are timeless phenomena that have been assigned surprisingly sommon characterisitcs across all cultures throughout history" (14). Today, one can compare and contrast such differences seen throughout the years.
Ghosts appear to have been reported for centuries passed, and continue to be seen among us today. Many different cultures seems to have different beliefs as to exactly why deceased people's spirits return. Personally, I think religion plays a huge part to such ideas. For example, a Protestant would have a different view of ghosts based on his or her personal beliefs in Heaven and Hell, while an Greek from hundreds of years ago, would view such ghosts in a different perspective because of his or her beliefs in Hades. However, all cultures seem to share the similar idea that these ghosts are simply souls from the dead that have come back to be among the living for a purpose. In the same way, none of the cultures can be sure about what that purpose may be. Overall, this chapter in The Mystery Library: Ghosts provides numerous examples of the changes in beliefs and views of ghosts over the passed hundreds of years, allowing the reader to compare and contrast different reports of apparitions to what one may consider reality.
Ghosts have been reported for centuries and interpreted in different ways by different cultures. While today, many are unsure if ghosts are harmful, peaceful, or why their presence is among the living in the first place, many different groups of people throughout the years have had their own ideas, as well. For example, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics contained many pictures of ghosts. They believed that the soul was made of up to nine parts; two of these nine parts, ba and ka, stayed after one's death to protect the corpse. The ba stayed at the burial ground, while the ka would haunt the living if a priest failed to make it a daily offering of food and and drink. If made mad enough, the ka would kill many people, including small children. In Greece, one's ghost was said to take form of a bat and fly to the underworld, or Hades. These ghosts remained in the underworld and complained constantly about the loss of their lives they once enjoyed. From time to time, ceremonies would be held to call up such ancestors' ghosts to receive advice. However, these ghosts would become mischievous if the Greeks did not hold their annual festival for the dead. This festival, Anthesteria, was to help ensure that such spirits remained in the underworld. Throughout the Middle Ages, many Europeans had become very strong Christians, but suffered from many hardships. Throughout starvation, disease, and war, many were surrounded by death and ghosts of ones who had died. The grim reaper soon became the scariest ghost of all. He was said to appear to a person and force them to face his or her own death. The grim reaper would then perform a dance with its victim and say to him or her, "As I am you will be." Towards the end of the 1400's, many Protestants viewed reports of apparitions to be untruthful. By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, anyone claiming to have seen a spirit was considered to be drunk or suffering from a mental and/or physical illness. Many were also accused of witchcraft. Finally, during the nineteenth century, or Victorian era, ghosts began to become accepted once again. Newspapers and books became constantly filled with reports of ghostly encounters. Apparition reports became so popular that in London, in 1882, Sir William Barrett and Edmund Dawson Rogers even established the Society for Psychical Research. Today, Hollywood portrays ghosts throughout the media as harmful, humorous, and peaceful. High-tech equipment is used to play up stories and images in order to give viewers a more entertaining experience. Throughout the centuries, while many different cultures and religions have viewed spirits as harmful, harmless, mischievous, and peaceful, all believers seem to all share a common outlook on spirits. They all are believed to be simply the souls of the deceased, lingering among the living on earth. According to Kallen, "Ghosts are timeless phenomena that have been assigned surprisingly sommon characterisitcs across all cultures throughout history" (14). Today, one can compare and contrast such differences seen throughout the years.
Ghosts appear to have been reported for centuries passed, and continue to be seen among us today. Many different cultures seems to have different beliefs as to exactly why deceased people's spirits return. Personally, I think religion plays a huge part to such ideas. For example, a Protestant would have a different view of ghosts based on his or her personal beliefs in Heaven and Hell, while an Greek from hundreds of years ago, would view such ghosts in a different perspective because of his or her beliefs in Hades. However, all cultures seem to share the similar idea that these ghosts are simply souls from the dead that have come back to be among the living for a purpose. In the same way, none of the cultures can be sure about what that purpose may be. Overall, this chapter in The Mystery Library: Ghosts provides numerous examples of the changes in beliefs and views of ghosts over the passed hundreds of years, allowing the reader to compare and contrast different reports of apparitions to what one may consider reality.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Myrtles Plantation
Kermeen, Frances. "The Myrtles Plantation." Ghostly Encounters: True Stories of America's Haunted Inns and Hotels. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 2002. 5-29. Print.
Personally, I believe this chapter on Myrtles Plantation is true. First of all, because the author was a former owner of the house, she was able to provide detailed encounters and descriptions. She had an in-depth knowledge of the plantation's history. She explained numerous stories that led to the understanding of certain ghosts seen at the house. By presenting such history, I was able to believe that the stories were true instead of a legend. She also shared several different reports by many of the house's guests and made connections throughout them. By presenting such information and evidence, I found it easier to believe that these stories are real. Also, she listed specific names of guests that she referred to. Lastly, the Wall Street Journal is a very reliable and respected newspaper throughout the United States. The fact that it specifically referred to Myrtles Plantation as being "America's Most Haunted House," has me almost entirely convinced that knowledge shared is true.
Personally, I believe this chapter on Myrtles Plantation is true. First of all, because the author was a former owner of the house, she was able to provide detailed encounters and descriptions. She had an in-depth knowledge of the plantation's history. She explained numerous stories that led to the understanding of certain ghosts seen at the house. By presenting such history, I was able to believe that the stories were true instead of a legend. She also shared several different reports by many of the house's guests and made connections throughout them. By presenting such information and evidence, I found it easier to believe that these stories are real. Also, she listed specific names of guests that she referred to. Lastly, the Wall Street Journal is a very reliable and respected newspaper throughout the United States. The fact that it specifically referred to Myrtles Plantation as being "America's Most Haunted House," has me almost entirely convinced that knowledge shared is true.
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