Reposted from Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles | Go to Original Post

GHOULA presents…
The
GHOST-BUSTER 
GHOST-BUS-TOUR

In many ways the 1984 comedy “Ghostbusters” set the template for today’s ghost-hunting culture. Long before the glut of paranormal reality shows that follow the antics of ghost enthusiasts in matching shirts, armed with pseudo-scientific devices to measure possible paranormal activity, there was Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston (played by Bill Murry, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson respectively).

Part of what made this movie about the paranormal unique was its urban setting. These uniformed ghost-hunters (busters) were not at some creepy haunted house on a hill, or some far away castle, they were in the middle of, and all around, a major metropolitan city. Because of a few recognizable “Big Apple” locations, many see Ghostbusters as a quintessentially New York film. However, proud New Yorkers may be surprised to learn that most of this comedy was shot and conceived here in the “City of the Angeles.”

Whether you’re a fan of the film or a fan of phantoms, don’t miss this chance to come out and follow in the Ghostbuster’s footsteps (slime not included).

Seating for this bus tour is limited. (12 guests per tour. 3 tours. 1 Day)

DATE: Saturday, April 26, 2014
TIME: 1:30pm (10:30am and 4:30pm SOLD OUT)
(tours run 1 1/2 to 2 hours each)
PRICE: $35.00
MEET-UP LOCATION: The Millennium Biltmore Hotel
506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90071 (map)

…or visit…
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ghost-buster-ghost-bus-tour-tickets-11189948437

NOTE: This tour is in no way affiliated, or authorized, or endorsed by Sony Pictures.

Reposted from Ghost Stories and Haunted Places | Go to Original Post

Today I welcome guest blogger and medium,  Deborah Kauflin, Ph.D.  Deborah is a psychic medium who is a retired, famous criminal profiler. Deborah interviewed twenty five serial killers and wrote three books about profiling killers. She trained thousands of FBI agents and homicide detectives and worked on hundreds of murder cases for police. She appeared on the Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery, Fox News, ABC, CNN and the Seoul Broadcasting Network. She also writes a blog for Psychology Today.  I am very excited to have Deborah here! 

If you fear that you will never see your beloved pet again, then let me assure you that your pet is still with you. Animals go to the other side, and they love nothing more than seeing you. Their spirits are right in front of you, but too many times you just can’t see them. Let your broken heart heal knowing that they are still with you.

Have you felt your dear car curl up on you lap after he passed? Maybe you have heard your dog’s bark or your bird chirp. The truth is that they are still here looking after you. They loved you so much in life, so why would you ever believe that they would leave your side?

Animals can be some of the most pure, loving spirits. They bring us love and companionship when others have left us. They are always so happy to see us and want nothing more than our love in return. If you have loved a dear pet in your life and you miss that pet, then realize that their love is with you. They look out for you from the other side.

What you might notice is that when you are going through a particularly bad time, you may feel your old pet rubbing against your leg or walking across your keyboard! One woman reported going through a terrible time when her husband died. She had lost her dear Bessie, her cat. As she grieved for her husband and her furry friend, she experienced something miraculous. One day her grief was too much for her, and she was crying as she sat at her computer. With her hands shaking on the keyboard, she actually felt Bessie walk across her fingers as she typed. This is what her cat always did in life! This happened several times and this act by her beloved Bessie was enough to help the woman stop crying. That is how strong the connection is between loved pet and human.

As you miss your pet, you might even start seeing it. Sometimes if you are particularly sensitive, you may see your animal in your home. If you do, then know it is your pet coming to say hello. They want you to see them so that you won’t hurt so much. They love you.

Other times pets come back to play with their old friends. In one case, two dogs spent their entire lives together. One died, and the other went into a terrible depression. The family could not get her to eat or do anything. She was dying of grief. Then all of a sudden, she got up and ran around playing as if she was with her old dog friend. She ran around in circles, crouching and jumping, just like she always did with her partner. She’d bark at what seemed like nothing. It was then that the family began experiencing activity of their own. Their oldest son saw the dog that had passed away. Others heard his bark. The family then knew their dear dog was still with them and doing everything he could to help his old friend heal from his passing.
It shouldn’t surprise you that your pets are still with you. Love never dies, especially love for animals. And your pets know how you feel about them. They know more than people give them credit for. Have you ever noticed that your pet tries to comfort you when you feel down? They do the same thing from the other side. Their connection with you will not be cut.

If your pet has crossed over, and you feel sad, then take a deep breath and call your pet to you in your mind. I guarantee that your pet will come. You may not be able to see it, but your pet will be at your side or in your lap. They love you that much. Don’t be surprised if when you call them that you begin to see unusual things go on in your home. That will be your pet letting you know that he is there.

Furthermore, in every psychic reading I have done where an animal has come through, the dear pet has ALWAYS said thank you to his human pal for taking care of him. They know what you do for them and are grateful. They will repay your love forever.

Reposted from Ghost Stories and Haunted Places | Go to Original Post

Today I welcome guest blogger and medium,  Deborah Kauflin, Ph.D.  Deborah is a psychic medium who is a retired, famous criminal profiler. Deborah interviewed twenty five serial killers and wrote three books about profiling killers. She trained thousands of FBI agents and homicide detectives and worked on hundreds of murder cases for police. She appeared on the Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery, Fox News, ABC, CNN and the Seoul Broadcasting Network. She also writes a blog for Psychology Today.  I am very excited to have Deborah here! 

If you fear that you will never see your beloved pet again, then let me assure you that your pet is still with you. Animals go to the other side, and they love nothing more than seeing you. Their spirits are right in front of you, but too many times you just can’t see them. Let your broken heart heal knowing that they are still with you.

Have you felt your dear car curl up on you lap after he passed? Maybe you have heard your dog’s bark or your bird chirp. The truth is that they are still here looking after you. They loved you so much in life, so why would you ever believe that they would leave your side?

Animals can be some of the most pure, loving spirits. They bring us love and companionship when others have left us. They are always so happy to see us and want nothing more than our love in return. If you have loved a dear pet in your life and you miss that pet, then realize that their love is with you. They look out for you from the other side.

What you might notice is that when you are going through a particularly bad time, you may feel your old pet rubbing against your leg or walking across your keyboard! One woman reported going through a terrible time when her husband died. She had lost her dear Bessie, her cat. As she grieved for her husband and her furry friend, she experienced something miraculous. One day her grief was too much for her, and she was crying as she sat at her computer. With her hands shaking on the keyboard, she actually felt Bessie walk across her fingers as she typed. This is what her cat always did in life! This happened several times and this act by her beloved Bessie was enough to help the woman stop crying. That is how strong the connection is between loved pet and human.

As you miss your pet, you might even start seeing it. Sometimes if you are particularly sensitive, you may see your animal in your home. If you do, then know it is your pet coming to say hello. They want you to see them so that you won’t hurt so much. They love you.

Other times pets come back to play with their old friends. In one case, two dogs spent their entire lives together. One died, and the other went into a terrible depression. The family could not get her to eat or do anything. She was dying of grief. Then all of a sudden, she got up and ran around playing as if she was with her old dog friend. She ran around in circles, crouching and jumping, just like she always did with her partner. She’d bark at what seemed like nothing. It was then that the family began experiencing activity of their own. Their oldest son saw the dog that had passed away. Others heard his bark. The family then knew their dear dog was still with them and doing everything he could to help his old friend heal from his passing.
It shouldn’t surprise you that your pets are still with you. Love never dies, especially love for animals. And your pets know how you feel about them. They know more than people give them credit for. Have you ever noticed that your pet tries to comfort you when you feel down? They do the same thing from the other side. Their connection with you will not be cut.

If your pet has crossed over, and you feel sad, then take a deep breath and call your pet to you in your mind. I guarantee that your pet will come. You may not be able to see it, but your pet will be at your side or in your lap. They love you that much. Don’t be surprised if when you call them that you begin to see unusual things go on in your home. That will be your pet letting you know that he is there.

Furthermore, in every psychic reading I have done where an animal has come through, the dear pet has ALWAYS said thank you to his human pal for taking care of him. They know what you do for them and are grateful. They will repay your love forever.

Reposted from Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles | Go to Original Post

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let’s put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group. (i.e. LOOK FOR SOMEONE WITH A GHOULA BUTTON)

THE DATE: May 13th, 2013 (Tuesday)
THE PLACE: The Hat and Hare Pub @ The Magic Castle
7001 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood (Map)
THE TIME: 8:00pm to 10:00pm
(GHOULA’s festivities begin in the Hat and Hare Pub at 8:00 p.m., but it’s advisable to arrive a little early to explore. A GHOULA representative will be in the lobby to greet you from 7 p.m.)

NOTE: Due to the nature of this unique venue, we have to limit our group to the first 13 people to sign-up. To be one of the lucky 13, simply click the RSVP button below.  Also, The Magic Castle is a private club. Guests must be 21 or older and carry ID. There is a strict dress code, including coat and tie for men and dresses, skirts or pants outfits for ladies. For full dress code details, see  www.magiccastle.com/visiting/dresscode.cfm

THE GHOST(S):

The building we know today as the “Magic Castle” was built in 1909 by banker, real-estate developer and philanthropist, Rollin B. Lane. According to urban legend, the Lane House was the only home built from a failed housing development that proposed to cover those hills with similar Chateau-themed mansions. It is said that the historic Chateau-style Janes House (the oldest house in Hollywood) was the “model home” and sales office for this doomed real estate venture. Fortunately, this French-inspired “castle” wasn’t alone very long, because two years later the equally bizarre Japanese-inspired “Yamashiro” was built up the hill, above it.

Over the last century, the Magic Castle has been a family residence, a multi-family residence, a home for the elderly, an apartment building, and finally an exclusive private clubhouse for magicians. With a life like that, is it any wonder that this old Victorian is said have a ghost or two, or many more, lingering around? (We’re not counting the ghostly illusions of the Houdini Seance Room,  or “Irma,” the piano-playing ghost.)

Also, we are purposefully avoiding the specific details about the building’s many haunted areas, because we have something very special planned for our visit…

To help us explore this secret haunted side of this historic hide-away (the side that the magicians would rather not talk about), Tom Ogden, author of “Haunted Hollywood,” will share with those present these little known ghost tales for a casual ghost tour of the labyrinth-like premises… and perhaps during the evening a few spooky magic tricks will be thrown in for good measure.

So come out, and join us for this very unique glimpse inside “the most unusual private club in the world,” and all of its other-worldly members… If you dare!

(to read about the last haunted location… )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations… )

Reposted from Ghost Stories and Haunted Places | Go to Original Post

 

If you drive through the South, you’ll notice old houses painted in a peculiar shade of blue.  The entire house is never blue.  It is always the details that are blue.  The shudders, the door, the top of the porch may all be this lovely, eerie shade.  The blue is deeper than a sky blue and more subtle than an eggshell blue.  It is completely unique and utterly Southern.

This blue is called “Haint Blue”.  A Haint in Southern parlance is another word for a ghost or a specter.  It is the restless spirit of one that has been left behind in the after life.   The blue that is so beautiful and so engaging is not just a color, it is a form of magic. 

Although Haint Blue can be seen on every kind of Southern house from sprawling mansions and old plantation homes to decaying shacks, the history of Haint Blue goes back to the Gullah or Geechee people.  These were the decendants of African slaves that lived in South Carolina and Georgia.   Their ancestors were brought to the Americas from Angola which is where the word Gullah is thought to have come from.   These peoples clung to the traditions of their ancestors and stories of ghosts and haints were common to their ancestors.   Haints were not kind ghosts in their traditions.  They were tragic, angry ghosts that were set on causing pain and heartache for the living.   As is common in many spirit traditions, however, Haints were unable to cross over water.  Therefore the best way to protect yourself from a Haint was to surround yourself in water.   The descendants of these African people found the easiest way to protect themselves was to fool Haints into thinking their homes were surrounded by water.  They painted their doors and shudders and porches in a watery blue to trick Haints.  This Gullah practice spread throughout the South as a method for keeping spirits and Haints at bay.   So now you can see the remnant of this old African tradition in homes throughout the South.

My neighbor recently painted her ceiling of her porch and patio Haint Blue.  She hasn’t told me if it has driven off any dark spirits yet, but I remain hopeful that this old tradition will hold its power as I am planning on painting my porch ceiling Haint Blue this summer. 

Reposted from Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles | Go to Original Post

GHOULA presents…
The
GHOST-BUSTER 
GHOST-BUS-TOUR

To celebrate Ghostbusters’ 30th anniversary, as well as this film’s association with the Southland, GHOULA will be conducting a (ONE DAY ONLY) bus tour of some of the local locations connected to this blockbuster, and discussing the real-life ghost stories connected to these sites and the movie.

In many ways the 1984 comedy “Ghostbusters” set the template for today’s ghost-hunting culture. Long before the glut of paranormal reality shows that follow the antics of ghost enthusiasts in matching shirts, armed with pseudo-scientific devices to measure possible paranormal activity, there was Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston (played by Bill Murry, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson respectively).

What made these ghost-hunters (busters) unique was their “nuts and bolts” approach to unexplained phenomenon. They more closely resembled plumbers going out on emergency jobs with their equipment, uniforms, and company car, than that of the typical reluctant detectives traditionally seen in films up until that time. Additionally, the movie gave the whole super-natural operation a decidedly urban feel with its “Big Apple” locales, making it a quintessentially New York movie. However, many proud New Yorkers may be surprised to learn that most of the movie was shot and conceived here in the “City of the Angeles.”

Whether you’re a fan of the film or a fan of phantoms, don’t miss this chance to come out and follow in the Ghostbuster’s footsteps (slime not included).

Seating for this bus tour is limited. (12 guests per tour. 3 tours. 1 Day)

DATE: Saturday, April 26, 2014
TIME: 10:30am, 1:30pm, or 4:30pm
(tours run 1 1/2 to 2 hours each)
PRICE: $35.00
MEET-UP LOCATION: The Millennium Biltmore Hotel
506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90071 (map)

…or visit…
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ghost-buster-ghost-bus-tour-tickets-11189948437

NOTE: This tour is in no way affiliated, or authorized, or endorsed by Sony Pictures.

Reposted from Ghost Stories and Haunted Places | Go to Original Post

Lakeforest is a quiet neighborhood.  It is hidden away in one of those areas that used to be farmland and swamp.  It is off the beaten path.   The houses there vary is size and type.  The houses around the lake are million dollar mansions.  They are large and presumptuous.   They are the houses of people who want the world to know their wealth.   In other areas of the neighborhood, the houses are more middle class.  They are four bedroom, three bathroom American homes that are perfect for the average family.  The neighborhood is new and clean and typical and seems like the least likely place for a haunting.  The neighborhood is so young, it is hard to imagine any accumulation of sorrow that could create a ghost.

However,  tragedy and ghosts do lurk in the quiet history of this ordinary neighborhood.   The pool at Lakeforest is a crowded party during the long Alabama summers.  During the day, children fill the water.  The sounds of splashing and laughter drift up from the pool and linger in the air around it.  During the sticky, hot evenings and weekends the adults come out.  They sneak in beer and alcohol that is strictly forbidden by the pool rules.  The adults don’t care.  It is all in good fun.   It was one such group of adults that begins this tale of ghostly woe.

One Saturday night, a group of  friends gathered around the pool, drinking and laughing and trying beat the heat. The night progressed and they decided to go back to the house.  They all loaded up in one truck.  People sat in the bed of the truck.  They knew they were drunk but it was such a short drive they thought they couldn’t get into any trouble driving.  On the way home, the driver hit a bump.  In his tipsy state, he didn’t realize what was coming.   When he hit the bump, one of the men in the back was thrown from the bed of the truck onto the driveway of a house he was passing.  The man died in that driveway while he was waiting for an ambulance.

The homeowners will never forget that night.  Finding a dying man in your driveway isn’t something you forget.   They watched the man draw his last breaths and watched him be driven away.   It isn’t just the memory that haunts them.  It is also the ghost of the man.   He lingers in the shadows of their home.  He makes odd noises and sometimes they can even catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of their eyes.   They aren’t sure what he is waiting for.   Maybe he just doesn’t know where else to go. 

Reposted from Ghost Stories and Haunted Places | Go to Original Post

The plaque in front of the Leroy Pope Mansion reads:  During the original Madison County Land Sales of 1809, LeRoy Pope of Petersburg, GA, secured among other purchases a majority of Section 36, Township 3, Range 1 West, the site of the future town of Twickenham, as Huntsville was originally known. Pope created Poplar Grove Plantation on this site and erected his home in 1814 in time to entertain Gen. Andrew Jackson on his return from the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The residence was among the earliest brick structures in Alabama. Inherited by his son, William H. Pope, the mansion was sold in 1848 to Dr. Charles Hays Patton, who commissioned George Steele to add the handsome Classical Revival portico. Nearby during the Civil War, Federal forces built an earthen breastwork to defend the eastern approaches to the city.

But there is more to the story of the Pope Mansion than can bread on plaques.  It is said that Leroy Pope Mansion is haunted by the ghosts of two slaves who still roam the property. These two ghosts like to bother audience members of touring groups, and one was even mistaken for a costumed character once.  Steve Gentry caught some wonderful photographs of ghosts at a recent ghost walk.   They are posted bellow. 

Huntsville Ghost Walk meets at Harrison Brothers Hardware Store. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under and are available at the hardware store all month. It’s good to get there at least 30 minutes early since the walks start promptly at 6 p.m. Cost is $12 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under. Visit the website or call (256) 509-3940.

Reposted from Ghost Stories and Haunted Places | Go to Original Post

A coworker told me this story.  He has never been quite sure what to make of it, but it still bothers him.  A long time ago, he had a home in the rural portions of South Alabama.  The house was one of those old houses that groans complaintively at night as if it is protesting its age.   The sounds of old pipes and old wood fill the house and make it easy to ignore small noises and sounds that might be out of place in another house.

However, one night he saw something he couldn’t ignore.  It was late at night and my coworker was in bed. His children and wife were out of town so the house was quiet.  Something woke him from his sleep and he opened his eyes to see a dark figure standing in the corner staring at him.  At first, he assumed the figure was of natural origins.  Being a proper Southerner, he reached for his gun to drive the intruder from his home.  Upon careful inspection, he knew the figure wasn’t anything that could be driven away by a gun.  He blinked and pinched himself trying to make sure he wasn’t trapped in some bad dream.  The figure remained.  Finally, the figure left.  He never told his family about the event.  He didn’t want to scare them, but he’ll never forget the shadowy figure that lived in the old house, deep in South Alabama.