FINDING GHOSTS - BEST HAUNTED LOCATIONS

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How to Talk With Spirits:

Seances • Mediums • Ghost Hunts

by June Ahern

eBook available Amazon or Smashwords.com (variety of eBook devices + PDF)

Excerpt

Chapter 11

GHOST HUNTS

There is something haunting in the light of the moon.
– Joseph Conrad –

THROUGHOUT HISTORY, ghost encounters and haunted houses have thrilled many people. Wide-eyed children and breath-holding adults sit around darkened rooms listening to spooky stories, hanging on every ghoulish detail and shrieking at the Big Moment of Fright. People line up at amusement parks to ride into dark tunnels where the “unknown” awaits to thrill them. Movies with girls screaming, and boys hiding their screams behind nervous giggles have been popular since the first three minute horror movie, “Le Manoir du Diable”, by George Melies, in 1896.

To this day, when I shower in a motel, I peek out to make sure no knife wielding man is coming to stab me as in Alfred Hitchcock's “Psycho.” Yet, fear doesn't keep me from visiting graveyards or old haunted buildings and I've been to plenty. If you're like me, you visit these places too whether on your own, with friends, or a tour.

One of the most frequently reported ghost sightings is Anne Boleyn, wife of England’s King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. She was executed at the Tower of London in May 1536 after accusations of witchcraft, treason, incest and adultery. Reportedly, her ghost is seen in the Tower and drifting through her childhood home, Hever Castle, in Kent, England.

In the first century A.D., the great Roman author and statesman Pliny the Younger recorded one of the first notable ghost stories in his letters. He reported the specter [ghost] of an old man with a long beard, rattling chains, haunted his house in Athens. The Greek writer Lucian also wrote memorable ghost stories.

In Germany, 856 A.D., the first poltergeist, a ghost who causes physical disturbances such as loud noises or objects falling or being thrown around, was reported at a farmhouse. The poltergeist tormented the family living there by throwing stones and starting fires, among other things.

Beginning in the late 19th century, Benjamin Franklin’s ghost has been seen near the library of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Staying true to his reputation of being an eccentric, he has been spotted dancing in front of his statue.

President Abraham Lincoln, assassinated in April 1965, has been frequently observed wandering near the old Springfield capitol building, as well as his nearby law offices. The White House seems to be an active spirit place with First Ladies, queens, and prime ministers reportedly seeing the ghost or feeling the presence of President Lincoln.

In 2013, I was asked to participate in a paranormal investigation of historical sites in San Francisco. It’s been much fun using my psychic talents while investigating the history of some of the city’s interesting haunts such as the once infamous Barbary Coast and the Condor Club. At one point, as I walked through the streets it was as though I went back in time to see men and women of that era. Never have I felt so strongly my movement through parallel dimensions of time and space. Some kind of change was felt within my physical body. I was challenged to remember I was in the present time. The exciting part, besides seeing with my psychic eye events unfold, is the historical research confirming much of my psychic visions and impressions.

My suggestions below for a ghost hunt are for the amateur ghost hunter. Investigators documenting for the advancement of paranormal studies approach ghost encounters differently If you would like to learn more about technical recording equipment this website is a good source, http:www.wikihow.com/Conduct-a-Ghost-Hunt.

• Where you can ghost hunt: Begin where there have been ghost sightings. A good start for the novice ghost investigator is to tour the area you live in or are visiting to find ghost tours. Many cities and towns in most countries have them. They'll take you to the places known for hauntings. You won't have to find locations, get permission to be on the area, or worry about safety. Go to the local tourist office to find a tour. Besides visiting a ghostly place, you’ll learn a lot about local history.

If you don’t take a tour, visit the library to find haunted buildings and locations in the area. Newspapers, town historians, and books can be helpful finding folklore or facts about sites.

Although spirits, ghosts and other entities can show up anywhere at anytime, below are some good places to visit during the night.

Graveyards/Cemeteries are filled with spirits and ghosts. I’ve read some paranormal investigative groups believe there are evil spirits in cemeteries. This could be, but I think because of the many prayers said at cemeteries there are most positive spirits than negative ones. I have yet to come across negative low-grade entities and I've been to many cemeteries, some famous for ghost sightings. If you have fearful, negative thoughts, don't go on a ghost hunt. Remember to empty your bladder before because it may be awhile before you glimpse a spirit. Or, if you do, you may wet your pants.

Schools and former sites of schools: There are highly charged emotional energies, which come along with being young.

Historic buildings house the spirits of many who passed through on business. They are open to the public and may have tours. 

(cont'd in ebook what to take on hunts, how to behave when encountering ghosts + much more) Read about this book and my other ones at june ahern dot com.