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How to Talk With Spirits:
Seances • Mediums • Ghost Hunts
by June Ahern
Excerpt
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.
