Tapped Out? – TV’s Ghost Hunters plan to make a press release
TV show with original cast members
TAPS- Jason and Grant, the super hero’s of the supernatural. They are no longer mere plumbers, they are business men. They own, produce and manage an empire. The TAPS empire. From big dollar property , merchandise, magazines, to giant events. TAPS is living large these days, thanks to their fans of course. On top of filming for the weekly TV show on Syfy, Ghost Hunters are now the poster children according to some for literally “selling out”. The majority of people that watch the shows are fans, as for TAPS fellow paranormal researchers watching, not so much.
Lately, the TAPS empire has been under the microscope by their peers. What used to be the occasional “oh my that’s a paranormal” moment, has turned into a weekly cat and mouse chase of let’s see what they can get on film this week. From jacket tugging to sliding pieces of furniture, the past two seasons have been chocked full of ghostly phenomenon, too good to be true. Once self proclaimed “debunkers” are now getting debunked. Not only by fellow paranormal researchers but by regular people that have a great deal of common sense and a keen eye for too good to be true moments. Perhaps TAPS has taught their viewers well? The TAPS scrutiny hit hard during the Halloween live episode where Grant, reported to have his jacket “tugged” by a ghost. Perhaps it would have been more convincing if the “ghost” tugged just once, but it was actually tugged 3 times. Overkill is never good for live TV. Since then, the pressure is on. The real paranormal community is watching like a hawk. The heat may be on for the TAPS crew to get more evidence, perhaps that is why they are getting miraculous events, caught on tape each week. Remember, it is a business.
I will provide a few links for you to see how the general population is getting the word out about rumors of staging crews and rigged evidence. Want more? Visit YouTube, there is a plethora of video to help you make up your mind, or not.
Recent TV show starring singing icon called Meatloaf & Part II
& of course Sliding Lamp Want more? Visit Youtube
I am not setting out to change the way people think about a scripted reality based TV show on the Science FictionNetwork, so don’t get too upset with me. But I do want to share what some are calling breaking news in the paranormal field concerning TAPS. Oh and to remind you that TAPS, Syfy and Pilgrim films are to offer a press release to clear their tainted image this week.
The not so “breaking news”- Many remember Donna Lacroix from the first few seasons of Ghost Hunters and perhaps, Ghost Hunters International. She was involved with the starting of the show, before it became big business.
This week, Donna spoke about her time on the set of Ghost Hunters as a cast member live on the internet radio show titled GhostDiva-Live. The GhostDivas show is a fun and unique broadcast. It comes on late and is targeted towards adults. The show basis is similar to the popular TV & Radio show titled “Whatever Martha” The women sit and talk about what is on TV, have guests and poke and prod at the paranormal field, just for laughs. Donna was a guest on this show this past week and she told the hosts that they can ask anything, from plastic surgery to rumors of TAPS faking evidence. She agreed.
The show has now hit the paranormal and even skeptic community like a tornado. Although, Donna’s intentions were just to speak her mind. The possibility of the TV show staging evidence has become focus. On several sites Jason Hawes of TAPS have made statements concerning Donna’s interview. He also stated that Pilgrim Films and SyFy network are preparing a press release over the show. I find it odd that they are taking this internet radio show so serious. Was Donna telling the truth enough to make the TAPS empire nervous? Many people feel that yes, it was enough to tarnish their image. Donna has made many statements that all she wanted to do was to talk about it. She was also aware that it would ruffle some feathers in the community, but she had no idea that it would circulate around the internet as it did in less than 72 hours. I do have to ask why TAPS, Pilgrim Films and even the SyFy network would take her statements so serious to create a press release? The truth is, GhostDivas LIVE is a small but very popular (for like minds) type of radio show, based in Oklahoma, and broadcast by the Supernatural Radio Network, it’s not a huge radio show by any means.
There are message boards, forums, youtube videos, tweets, Facebook updates, myspace blogs, standard blogs and beyond in an uproar about this show. Many people have been sitting back waiting on the smoking gun to officially shut the TAPS empire down. This show was not the smoking gun, it may lead to it yes, but it is not. The radio interview was to allow Donna to speak her mind and for people to ask questions about the production. To most, Donna is a hero for speaking out, while to a small few, they were disappointed that it was not the bomb they had been wishing for. No matter what your opinion is about TV’s TAPS/Ghost Hunters, the radio interview offers an entirely different outlook when it comes to the super hero status that is seen on TV.
Listen to the entire broadcast here. (Warning: Strong Language and adult content)
No matter what you might think about the TAPS/Ghost Hunters TV show you must remember that the show was created for entertainment purposes only. Why would TAPS be the only “real” TV show on a network that has nothing other than Science Fiction based programming is a great question to ask yourself. If you are a fan of this show that is fine, but keep in mind that it is for entertainment and quite possibly fiction wrapped in a cozy “reality based” blanket.
I will be awaiting patiently the press release from the Syfy network, TAPS and Pilgrim Films. Nobody is attempting to change anyone’s mind, but I do ask that you see both sides of every story from the youtube videos to net radio shows. Do not believe everything you see on TV and continue to think critically when it comes to those claiming to have evidence of the afterlife. In my 11 years of research, I have yet to have a ghost perform for me on camera. Now, I am asking myself, maybe it’s because I’m not wearing a TAPS official and certified t-shirt?
Sincere blogger,
Paranormal Eyes
Tonya H.
The reality of Paranormal Activity-The movie
This weekend, for Halloween I headed to the theater to check out the very popular movie titled “Paranormal Activity“. I do want to state that I am not a movie critic. I am a paranormal researcher that likes movies, spooky movies.
I have read some mixed reviews about this flick but I made a point to not read too much or make up my mind before I watched the movie with my own eyes. I did read up on some facts behind the movie. I tried to avoid the over personal opinions about the film.
First, the movie was made with an $11,000 budget. I was worried that the small budget would leave me with motion sickness or camera shaking migraine headache, like the Blair Witch Project successfully achieved. I learned that the actors used their real names during the film, as characters, just to keep the “reality”, well, real. The location was a real home, it was not a set. In fact, the home looked like the average Americans home. Real decor and it was age appropriate for the cast. I did not research a lot of the story line as I wanted it to be fresh and new to me. I did not want to expect or seek out scenes while viewing. With basic information in hand, my family headed to the theater to get the wits scared out of us! Just in time for Halloween!
The movie started out rather slow, but it seemed to pick up about 20 minutes into it. The plot and character placement took it’s sweet time to inform the viewers of who they are in the movie. At first, the camera movements were annoying to me, but I will admit, I did get sucked into the personal relationship between the couple. As for being a low budget film, with no name actors, I did find myself believing that they could in fact, be a real couple. The dynamic between the two of them was very realistic. The script, I forgot there was a script, never really thought about a script. To me, it just started to feel as if I was peeking into someones home life, via home video camera.
The plot grew a the movie continued. I did find myself totally emerged into the storyline.
The scare scenes started out subtle, which I respected. I love suspenseful movies and I feel they pulled it off with class. Compared to movies today, where glitz, effects, music and big bucks create scenes. The producers seemed to realize that a good scare is often worth the wait. I will not list my favorite scenes because I do feel that seeing it on the big screen for yourself will help you make up your list of favorites.
It’s often hard for me to watch ghost related movies and shows and not critique them, as a paranormal researcher. This movie I did not. I was able to focus on the story line and the suspenseful events taking place in the couples bedroom. I did notice a few old school ghost hunting tactics take place during the film and I respect the writers efforts to showcase the simplicity of most “paranormal activity”. Real hauntings are never as Hollywood glorifies them. In my 11 years of researching paranormal claims I have yet to witness breathing walls and clients running down the stairs to greet me while doing a spider walk. In the movie, the basics were covered. They even used the Audacity audio editing program that most paranormal researchers use today.
The couple did call in a psychic for assistance. Which in reality, that would be what people would do in real life. I was impressed that they did not call in a “Ghost Hunting Team” to help them, to me that would have turned the movie sour. The couple handled it on their own and faced the consequences for it. The effects were simple and the unexplainable occurrences were basic. They utilized the power of suspense as they would in older movies that are also some of my favorites. I will point out the fact, that watching a movie without creepy background music was great. This movie did not have music or outrageous sound effects to build suspense.
I have read mixed reviews. The bad reviews are from movie buffs that appreciate and expect money, special effects and the impossible within today’s movies. I will admit, I am one of those people that watch movies and say, “um, that is impossible, that could never happen”. Personally, I do not like over done movies where effects have to build the story line. I am a fan of good writing, strong personal plots and the reality of the entire movie. Psychological thrillers are my favorites and I do feel that Paranormal Activity was worth the ticket price. The movie was just as fun to watch as it was for me to hear grown men scream in the seats behind me.
Was the movie amazing? I would not go as far to say that. For a good thrill and a couple nightmares, yes it was a lot of fun to watch. Was the movie horrible? The camera shaking was annoying at first, but it did get better as the movie progressed. It was not on a Blair Witch level, if it were, I would have walked out. The realistic, reality of “paranormal activity” they showcased in the movie. It’s my opinion that they did a great job in showcasing a lot of claims people make, in real life. Yes, it was crammed into an hour and a half movie, but as a researcher, I have heard and witness people make the same claims, in real life. Therefore, the reality was a truthful, up until the end. (I won’t spoil it for you)
Great movie for the season and for me, a lot of fun to watch.One thing I did notice after watching the movie, I had a couple claw marks and bruises on my arms the next day. Paranormal? Not really, I had both of my children on each side of me, holding on for dear life. For kids and teens, this is a very scary movie. For adults, it could scare you if you allow it to do so. Just try not expect big money effects and creepy music to create your fear. In reality, real paranormal activity does not have sound effects and suspenseful music leading you on. Just allow it to happen.
How do I rate this movie? I won’t. I will leave that up to the people that specialize in movie ratings. I just wanted to share what I thought about the movie, on a paranormal level. My family liked the movie and it was scary and fun. Paranormal Activity will not be a classic in my opinion, but it was done very well for a very small budget.
Frontier City, more than just a Fright Fest?
Growing up, I have always heard that Frontier City was really haunted, not just at Halloween. Outside of being one of the best playgrounds in Oklahoma, for all ages. I have heard that when the lights go down and the people and staff clear out the park seems to take on a life of it’s own. Over the past eleven years, I have received a handful of emails stating “come and investigate Frontier City, it’s really haunted!” Well, I finally took it serious. While visiting one of Oklahoma’s most popular adventure destinations with my family a few weeks ago, I decided to ask around to see if the legends were true. The staff mentioned several places of interest to us. From the old Nightmare ride to the Wildcat Roller coaster. While combing through the historical archives, we found not much of anything to validate the spooky tales and locations we were directed too, but I did notice that some aspects of Frontier City has an untraceable background as some of the attractions were moved from other locations across the nation. As a researcher, It is helpful to a case when there are unfortunate mishaps to blame, but we only found a couple instances as to why the legends are born in the first place. The park does hold secrets, I will not deny that.
We spoke with the Marketing Director of Frontier City and arranged for us to come out and conduct an investigation of the entire park. We were able to talk with staff members and to get their stories as to what locations spooked them out the most and where the ” haunted places” were. After our interviews, the entire GHOULI team and EerieOK team split up, rules and maps in hands and ventured out on our own to see if we could witness any of the strange events taking place at Frontier City.
It was a nice cool evening, a full moon supplied us with light as we ventured around the park. I will admit, we all made several mentions of this particular investigation, being one those based off the Scooby Doo cartoon. All we were missing was old man Smithers, menaced property owner that was doing nothing but trying to hide his stock pile of fools gold. This was probably the first investigation where I noticed both teams sporting a child like grin the entire time. No matter how hard we tried, even as adults, Frontier City has a magic of it’s own. It’s just one of those places you want to be, day or night, haunted or not.
The Frontier City Staff was more than helpful as they led us around to forgotten places within the park and the “hot spots” pointed out by previous teams and staff members. Old childhood memories flooded in as we seen artifacts from yesteryear hidden and stored away. The rumors of ghosts and strange events focused on several rides and attractions. The GHOULI and EerieOK team had focus on “energy” during this investigation. The theory that stored energy of the past can generate images, sensations, feelings and even anxiety that leaks into today’s atmosphere, causing the haunting. What better place to test the “energy theory” than the highly active theme park!
Our goal was to get residual accounts of paranormal phenomenon. We desired to get ghostly thrill ride screams, children’s laughter and the occasional child crying, because he did not get cotton candy of course. All teams were armed with tools such as flashlights, thermometers, walkie talkies, video cameras, digital cameras, audio equipment and several types of meters. Each team rotated around the park to different hot spots and to locations where we found historical significance. We would meet up in between rounds to discuss any happenings or events that needed further investigating. As the evening went on, we had discovered we covered the entire park as well as we could. Investigations are not about camping out, we all felt that our time there was plenty to obtain what we wished to collect.
The evening grew colder and it was getting late. Only a handful of us had something “strange” take place and in some locations, it was unanimous as to where. A few days later, audio samples were being turned in. To our surprise, we were able to collect a handful of interesting EVP’s in some areas of the park. Were they the energy based thrill ride voices that we were after? Not really. The video below will highlight some of our findings from the park. The audio clips that were taken, compared and scrutinized by everyone from both teams. Are they ghosts? We are not sure, but they are unexplainable voices, caught on tape from the locations that we all had previously agreed to hold that “I was not alone in there” factor.
Our findings were a big surprise to us. None of us really made contact with anything that seemed to be menacing or angry of our presence as rumored. The hot spots deemed by another local team, well, we found our results to not collaborate entirely with their findings. Random? Perhaps. Hard core haunted? Not really, but just enough to add a little spice to the parks reputation of thrilling adventures. I will not report of the deadly mishaps we discovered regarding this parks past mainly out of respect for the families. But also, we will keep our historical findings to ourselves as we monitor other teams progress. Will they discover what we discovered? We will monitor the parks historical haunting’s from afar and see who is actually doing their homework and offering their findings for comparative data research.
Just this past weekend, I ventured to Frontier City with my friends and family to enjoy Fright Fest. This is one of our families past times and we never miss a year. Frontier City offers a fantastic time for families during the Halloween Season. We headed out to experience this years haunted house theme, Rotsville, Mental Asylum and to ride some rides and enjoy the park as it is decorated to the max for the Halloween season. As we were getting in line to grab our tickets to the haunted house, we noticed a paranormal team had what appeared to be a booth set up. We ventured over to see what was going on.
The local team MAPS had one of their ghost hunting fleet cars on display, surrounded by rope light. They had a tent and a glass casing full of ghost hunting tools and gadgets. They also had a collection of books that featured the author Hans Holzer on display. They had light up t-shirts for sale for $40 as well. The shirts were sound activated and perfect for some underground rave trance party. Walking up to the team, I noticed they utilized the infamous K2 Meters. I had to ask, “Does your team use these?” the guy in charge proudly answered “Yes, we do“. I challenged him, asking him all kinds of questions about the meter. That particular meter is public enemy #1 in the paranormal field. It was introduced on a popular TV show and has been tossed aside by legitimate researchers across the nation. People are no longer utilizing the meters, mainly because of outside interference. It’s been documented and tested that even cell phone receptions from up to a mile away can cause the meter to fluctuate, confusing uneducated ghost hunters into assuming it’s some kind of ghostly activity. We didn’t spend a lot of time with them at that moment, as we had to grab our tickets for the haunted house. After grabbing our tickets and some roasted corn, we sat and discussed the paranormal team we had just talked with. We finally realized that it was the team that investigated the park over a year ago. We decided to go back and to talk to them, in hopes of possibly validating some of the EVP’s we obtained during our investigation. I approached a woman in a MAPS t-shirt and asked her if they were able to obtain any evidence of the parks ghostly reputation. She stated that they had obtained an EVP in the Gun Show area of the park. I asked if I could hear it, or if it was on the Internet anywhere. I stated to her that I would like to compare the voice to voices we collected during our investigation. To my surprise, she told me that I needed to attend the 10pm Gun Show to hear the EVP as it’s not going to be offered anywhere else. I mentioned that if we could get out of the Haunted house in time, we would venture over, but in case we missed it, if it was possible for us to hear the EVP anywhere. She stepped back and had the lead of the team over to speak with me. I found this to be odd. Generally, when a team has placed themselves in the public for display, they are more than willing to answer questions. As the leader came over, I started to ask why their evidence was not open for peer review or collaborative research. All he told me was “It’s our choice not to”. As a researcher, it is imperative, especially in locations investigated by two separate teams to share evidence. It helps build a stronger case for both teams and the location. It’s also a good thing to have back up, when it comes to making claims as to proof of the afterlife. I started to ask many questions as to this teams protocol, they have the word “Science” in their title and I ask what was their scientific approach. They stated to me “To collect evidence in one place, go back and collect it again, in the same place, from the same entity”. This is the standard scientific protocol of most teams, but most teams realize it is almost impossible to replicate. I ask the team leader if the EVP they are playing during the gun show had been scrutinized under their protocol, he said “no, it has not”. He also explained to me that they do research for their own personal use. The general public and other teams are not to be privileged to their findings. I asked them why they were advertising at the park, with their cars, booth and t-shirts, I was told that they were invited by the park. Well, that’s fine and dandy, but I didn’t understand the privacy factor they gave me, and the blatant advertising they were displaying. Back to the evidence. I explained my questions on several occasions. It seemed to make them uncomfortable that I was asking them about their experiences at the park. As a researcher, I just wanted some validation in the audio samples we obtained. They refused to talk more about it and encouraged us to join them at the Gun Fight at 10pm to hear the mysterious EVP. Click here to watch the MAPS video posted for the public on their myspace page. (Scientific indeeed!)
10 o’clock arrived and we made a mad dash to the Gun Show. The show was fantastic, with a great Halloween story line, lots of action, fire and cool stunts. After the show, one of the actors invited everyone to sit down and wait for a moment. He stated to the crowd that he was a member of the MAPS team and that they conduct investigations all over. He stated “We are just like TAPS on TV” several times in his speech. He stated to the crowd that the Gun Show set was a “paranormal hot spot” and they have obtained an EVP to share with the crowd. Everyone confusingly sat patiently to listen. The audio clip they had prepared was not working for some reason. The actor continued to talk about the MAPS team and how they were just like TAPS from TV. Eventually, the sound person declared that the EVP was not going to play and the EVP can be heard on the website. For a group of scientists, I found this to be unacceptable. I remembered, that I was told (many times) that they do not put anything on the website for the public and never will, but anyway, the crowd filtered out quickly to get that last ride in before the park closed. We stood at the entrance to listen to what the public was saying about the ghostly claims made by this actor/ghost hunter. What were they saying? Nothing, nothing at all.
My previous blog was about Ghost Hunting teams and the Halloween season. The general public does brush off our research as just another Halloween trick. Comparing oneself to a popular TV show on the Science Fiction channel never is a good thing either. Once pumpkins and zombies enter the picture, the concept of being “serious researchers, just like on TV” goes right out the window, now on to that next caramel apple and roller coaster!
Frontier City is a magical place for Oklahomans. Is it haunted? We will leave that up to you. But for the many late night staff members, there is no question to what they have witnessed. It was real to them. Our small pieces of evidence just added to the case and to a very fun investigation. It was our privilege to be able to investigate such a legendary location in the state of Oklahoma. Is Frontier City Haunted? We will leave that up to you as you venture out this Halloween for your thrills and chills of the season. No matter what you believe, we invite you to take a second look the next time you are at Frontier City… Go ahead and peek into the dark corners of the park and quietly tell your children why the park never closes. This time of year it is fantastic to enjoy ghostly tales from our great state, but remember, the more stories you tell, the Halloween memories grow stronger.
Sincerely,
Paranormal Eyes- Tonya Hacker
Halloween Tricks & Treats
Fall is here and it’s here with a vengeance. Great weather has finally came our way in the great state of Oklahoma. Fall and the cooler weather means one thing.. Halloween!!
Halloween is a busy time of year for paranormal researchers. There are a lot of events taking place. Tours and ghostly walks are popping up every time we open the newspaper or a local magazine. Halloween is almost here! For some teams, Halloween is busy mainly because they feel it’s an opportunity to “get their names out there” to the general public while others are attending speaking engagements, sharing their ghostly tales from across the state.
No matter what kind of team it is, it is still a very busy season.
The days of getting on the local news broadcast, attempting to convince the general public that what we do is “scientific” and “legitimate” are over (for me & my team). Why? Because it’s HALLOWEEN! Some teams may not understand this, but Halloween is not the best time of the year to “get their names out there” as some hard core scientific research group. No matter how hard they try, the local news stations will always play the spooky music as an intro, or say “who ya gonna call” or the best of them all, having a snickering news anchor follow up your “scientific” investigation footage with a comment like “I bet she DOES see dead people”. There is a trick to Halloween media, it’s still ignored by thousands of teams across the nation that are oh so serious with what they do. What is the trick? Have fun! It’s Halloween! Nobody is going to take you serious this time of year, people should just stop trying. Teams that do fun, adventurous segments, those are the teams remembered. The smiles, and the raised eyebrows are already there, so the snarky remarks and howling moon music they play, well, it won’t appear as you just got “owned” by an anchor.That’s the best treat of all! Getting a teams name out? Well, that’s important yes, but Halloween is the worst time of the year to do that. Why? After Halloween, the teams name, what they offered as “science” and the evidence and effort they put forth, well, it’s going to be replaced with the Holiday Season. Those teams hard work had just been replaced with Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas shopping! All that “hard work” has just went to pot! Just tell the story of the haunt, no need to make a big fool out of yourself while you do it! So, I invite you to watch local teams show up on the local news stations and I challenge you to see how hard they try to be “official” this time of year! Watching these teams, well that’s another treat all by itself!
Fun- This is the best time of the year for families. It allows adults to behave like children and children to get away with eating way too much candy and well, behaving like little monsters, literally. This time of year allows people to feel more comfortable taking about their “ghostly visitors”, so in turn, it may open up some potential investigation locations, but that’s about it.
Ghostly fun! My team just conducted an investigation at one of Oklahoma City’s well known travel and adventure locations. I will post the results of our findings before the end of next week, just in time for Halloween!
So, I will have many blogs up this month!
Until then, here are a few events I will be speaking at! Time to gear up for Halloween!
County Line Restaurant- October 10th & 17th. Reservation only. BBQ & Banshee’s dinner and ghost hunt. www.ghouli.org for details. Seating is limited!
Moore Public Library- Teen’s go Beyond series! I will have a paranormal research lecutre for teens, and even adults on October 19th.
TapWerks- Bricktown OKC- Sometime this October!
October 23rd- Chisholm Trail Book Festival
Enid Oklahoma Public Library- AM lecture- October 10th.
Just to name a few!
Stay tuned for our investigative report of one of Oklahomas biggest and most fun attractions! You will be suprised with what we discovered!!!
BBQ & Banshees at The County Line
Oklahoma City, OK- The County Line Restaurant has a magnificent past. It has held haunting tales for the past 20 years and is still going strong. As new staff members enter the County Line crew, I have found that just dropping in to check on the ghost stories to be one of my all time favorite things to do, oh and I can’t forget the great BBQ!
In the 1930’s during the Prohibition days and when society declared that pointing fingers at what was socially acceptable was the rage, the former Oak Cliff club was purchased by a Greek immigrant. The then known as Oklahoma’s Kentucky Club paved the way for Oklahoma City nightlife. Booze, women, dancing, fashion and of course gambling were some of the key elements that kicked the Kentucky Club into gear and deemed to be one of the city’s hot spots. Not only did the Kentucky Club attract the local rum guzzlers the club attracted high rollers from all across the nation. Rumors of busted up raids, insider informants and of course murder line the walls of the club today. The club was infamous for it’s entertainment and a great place where you could grab a bite of food and a stiff drink in the days where money was scarce but living the high life was demanded. The club was designed after the Kentucky Club in, well, Kentucky. Stable style seating where a dame and her beau could enjoy a nice quite dinner or distinguished gentleman could enjoy a good cigar and place a bet or two on the horses. Those with a sense of adventure could venture out and experience a lit up dance floor for a night on the town. The Kentucky Club was one of Oklahoma’s hottest night spots and as we all know, where there is glitz and glamor, there is always a dark side.
After obtaining a handful of lawsuits and closings, the club flourish for a great number of years. Murder, scandal and secrets were starting rebuild the reputation of the Kentucky Club one mishap at a time.
The history of the Kentucky Club is a fun one, if you are into ladies of the night, booze and the occasional mafia or political tie in. The restaurant is now known as the County Line. Probably more famous for the BBQ than the ghosts, but here in Oklahoma, I do believe it’s one of the most whispered about establishments in the state.
Come for the BBQ stay for the ghosts?
After meeting up with the County Line this past month. I was able to check in with some new staff members about the haunting tales and to see if they are still taking place, oh and of course to have some BBQ! I decided to go around and take some photos of the joint since it was pretty close to closing time. My team member Mandy had brought her tape recorder just for taking notes. After a nice evening of walking around, admiring the artwork and images from the past we were quickly reminded that the “ghosts” of the County Line are still swinging away, even today.
While taking some photos of the annex building out on the porch, I heard a man say “excuse me”. It caught me off guard, I never hear “voices” while out and about. It was just Mandy and myself out there, nobody else was around. she played the tape back and yes, we got the voice of the man saying “excuse me”, and my shocking reaction of course! After reviewing the audio the next day, Mandy discovered that she had obtained a few great EVP’s during our non-ghost hunting adventure. It just goes to prove that the “ghosts” that are still lurking around the County Line enjoy people more when they are just hanging out, for no particular reason.
This September and October I will be hosting a series of dinners at the County Line Restaurant. BBQ & Banshees is the theme. If you are interested in ghosts or interested in BBQ and a good time, this intimate event is for you. Come and learn about the County Line and of course some of the states most haunted places. Well known authors and speakers will delight you over dinner as they share tales from Oklahoma’s past and present. Come for the food and entertainment but stay for the ghost hunt. After dinner guests will be allowed to see for themselves if the ghosts of the County Line are just rumors or the result of too much cold beer and great BBQ.
These events are open to the public and all ages are welcome. Bring the family, bring a date! The cost of the evening is cheaper than a boring night out on the town and you will have memories that will last you a lifetime. Don’t worry, singles are welcome and groups.
CLICK HERE FOR DATES AND TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!
Check out the great line up of speakers!
David Farris- Author of Mysterious Oklahoma
Marilyn Hundson- Oklahomas own Paranormal Librarian!
Mandy Watson of GHOULI and of course Me, Tonya H. of NewsOK’s “Paranormal Eyes”.
Come hear the EVP and learn more about the ghosts of the County Line! This event is not scary by any means it’s a lot of fun!! Reservation only! Hurry, these events will fill up fast as we get closer to Halloween!
CLICK HERE FOR DATES AND TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!
Now this is a smart ghost!
This particular EVP that I am sharing is one of my favorites. I WILL tell you what it says because I want this “Ghosts” message to be loud and clear. This “ghost” is dead on (pun intended) with what we do as paranormal researchers.
A few years ago we were investigating an abandoned historical property. It was an old orphanage, a rehab center back in the old days so people could get clean from Opium use, a mental hospital, a school and of course (and I am not lying) it is on Tribal Land. This land has seen battles and it’s historically proven. Anyway, my team starts the investigation during the late afternoon. It is very dark in this old building so we need as much light as possible as we are setting up. I will admit, many years ago I did work in a “stereotypical” way when it comes to investigating. I have always been pretty lucky with obtaining EVP . I am not “psychic” and I am not special, I am lucky and make a point to ALWAYS have the tape recorder rolling. I use old fashioned desktop style tape recorders, with cassette tapes. It’s what I like and it’s what I will always use, so debate is pointless. So, we are setting up in this old hospital and you can hear our voices in the background. Pay attention to the echo… it’s how we sounded in person. The structure was built to uphold tornado’s and bombs. In other words, 2 ft thick concrete walls, stone and the kitchen sink. The acoustics were a researchers worst nightmare, until they figured out how to deal with them. (More on that later) So, as we set up. On this particular not so echofied EVP, you will hear a very pissy “Ghost”. He is watching us and he is obviously disgusted with our so so serious nature of us “setting up” to go “ghost hunting” . What we didn’t know is that there was something watching us and pretty much laughing at us. He was probably standing there whaling his arms and screaming at us with anger. No, not a “demon” just a smart ghost!
We were in fact stupid and we were so worried about setting up, we were ignoring the idea that one was watching us look like idiots, oh wait , stupid people.
So, on this EVP clip you will hear this smart ghost say “my God” then you will hear us talking (echofied) in the background they you will hear the “ghost” say “Stupid People”. This my friends is what “Ghosts” think of us and by golly, they are right.
Over the past 10 years of research, ALL of the best EVP I have obtained were by accident. NOT A Single “ghost” responded to some “session” or “dead time specter frolic” it was by accident. Most of those nice accidents were when I (the tape recorder holder) was thinking and doing something TOTALLY NOT “ghost” related. I was being me, nothing more. LEsson learned from this ghost. I have stopped acting like a “Ghost hunter” many years ago, I recommend people do the same. But, I might as well suggest that people jump off a building, that would be too much to ask.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR THIS SMART GHOST EVP!
Enjoy!
Ghost Hunting Getaways
Press Release: Father of the Paranormal Dies
Press Release: Amityville Ghostbuster Hans Holzer dies Sunday aged 89.
Hans Holzer, known as the Father of the Paranormal, died Sunday at his Manhattan home after a long illness.
Dr. Hans Holzer, PhD, authored over 145 titles including Murder At Amityville, which was the basis for the 1982 film Amityville II: The Possession.
Having earned his PhD from the London College of Applied Science, he spent over five decades traveling the world to obtain first hand accounts of paranormal experiences, interviewing expert researchers, and developing parapsychological protocols and terminology such as ’sensitive’ and ‘beings of light’.
Holzer had hundreds of national and regional talk show appearances, co-hosting/hosting programs such as Ghost Hunter on Boston’s Channel 2, NBC’s In Search Of with Leonard Nemoy (an Alan Landsburg productions), Murder in Amityville, Beyond The Five Senses in Louisville, KY, Explorations with Brownville Productions in Ohio, Radio including a continuous segment with New York City’s WOR with famed radio personality Joe Franklin who still is a family friend.
Father Paranormal
A Biography
Dr. Holzer pioneered and paved the path for the field of study of the science of unexplained phenoma. He was the first of his kind to mainstream the term ‘ghost hunter’ which became the title to his first book in 1963, ‘The Ghost Hunter’ which went into an unheard of eleven printings.
Writing genres included parapsychology, the supernatural, the occult, some fiction, poetry, religion and healing. Most famous for Amityville Horror II: The Possession, Ghosts, Americas Haunted House, The UFOnauts, The Journey of the Magi and Murder in Amityville: Fact or Fiction. Most of his titles can be found on http://www.barnesandnoble.com.
Holzer was a leading authority in the field of the paranormal, known as Father of the Paranormal. Having earned his PhD from the London College of Applied Science, he has spent over five decades traveling the world to obtain first hand accounts of paranormal experiences, interviewing expert researchers, and developing para-psychological protocols. He taught parapsychology at the New York Institute of Technology for a decade.
He was a member of the WGAE, Dramatists Guild, Producers Guild, SAG, Authors Guild, AFTRA ASCAP, Archaeological Institute, NY Academy of Science, NY Historical Society and Who’s Who In America.
Dr. Hans Holzer 1920-2009
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NOTES:
No matter what you believe, if you agree or disagree there is no denying that, Dr. Hans Holzer was a pioneer in the field of “paranormal research”.
This folks, is how you create a legacy.
Are you creating a legacy like Dr. Holzer or are you just chasing ghosts like so many others out there?
If you are in this field as a researcher, strive to not become one of the thousands that will eventually achieve nothing. Not even a trail or a crumb of who you are, were, what you did and why you did it, nothing.
Bravo to Dr. Holzer for doing a great job in creating your legacy in the field of paranormal research.
Sincerely,
Tonya H.
Paranormal Eyes
For Sale: Vintage and slightly haunted toaster?
Over the past nine years I have heard many stories about ghosts, strange events, spooky experiences and even haunted objects. If you do a quick Google search, it’s not hard to find a plethora of haunted items for sale and for auction. The fascination with these items is very popular and many of the 
haunted objects are selling for top dollar at auction sites. What’s the big deal with haunted items? Why would a person want to purchase them and who are these people that seem to have all the luck with finding these oddities? I have been reading a lot about these items and I have been paying attention to the writing styles that are behind them. Haunted Dolls are big sellers these days. I know grown men that hate dolls, because they are often creepy. The older dolls have the look of peeling paint and blackened eyes, fit for any horror movie. It seems to be the new thing to buy haunted. Perhaps people these days are lonely, bored or just crazy? Perhaps if they are like me, they would purchase these items just because the odds of them being haunted, well, it’s a fun gamble and well worth the risk. Who knows, it could be haunted!? What a great conversation piece to place on your mantle! It’s always fun to talk to people and hear their stories of how big of a sucker they were in purchasing online auction items. Some people are just collectors of strange objects, if funds were available, I would probably be one of those people.
Haunted objects, it’s a forgotten and slightly ignored subject in the paranormal field. It’s forgotten because the subject is slightly boring and there is nothing that “ghost hunters” can do! I too will admit that I would prefer to go into an old and creepy hospital compared to sitting for hours to monitor an old clock that’s believed to be haunted. One thing that a lot of 
researchers and even the skeptics are ignoring is the fact that there are a lot of reports of objects being cursed, haunted or have some kind of spirit attached. No, I’m not talking about the ones for sale on the Internet. I’m talking about the people that don’t call the ghost hunters; they just get rid of the object entirely. I have spoken with many people that have purchased or inherited an object, usually an antique of some sort and had a string of strangeness take place after the item arrived. Items such as books, clocks, old quilts, pieces of furniture, toys, photos, watches and even paintings area all deemed haunted. When the people obtained the items they were not afraid of them, not one bit. The experiences just evolved, that is what makes the stories more intriguing than a regular ghost story. Those that I have talked with over the years are more upscale and not the typical person that believes in such things as “ghosts.” They are not the types to call some t-shirt sporting ghost hunting team to visit their home either. The people are working citizens, educated and were not the least bit prepared to the string of mishaps that took place in their homes and lives. I have heard reports from sudden insect or rodent infestations after a small trinket was inherited. People have reported, strange noises, knocks on the wall, falling photos and even small fires. It is entirely possible that “bad luck” was blamed on these objects, so don’t peg me as a believer just yet. I’m not willing to accept the blame or the possibility of an innocent coincidence to justify someone’s strange events.
One of the most popular collections of haunted items is the traveling exhibit, featuring the RMS Titanic artifacts and replications. Many years ago, the 
Titanic exhibit passed through Oklahoma. I was able to walk through and see all the found treasures that were aboard the historical ship. The items that made me become totally conscious of the tragedy was items such as hair brushes, some with hairs still in them and personal jewelry, not to mention children’s clothing, it was indeed haunting. The Titanic exhibit was even showcased on SciFi’s Ghost Hunters/TAPS not too long ago. The “team” entered the exhibit in search of traveling exhibit ghosts because curators have been reporting eerie sensations, being watched and even cold spots. Well, anyone with a soul would have been affected by this exhibit, even ghost hunters. Being around personal items might create more than just an uneasy feeling; it’s a feeling of empathy, on a non-psychic level and of course the blatant and very harsh pragmatism that is involved with the exhibit, over 1500 people did parish. Ghosts or were heartstrings just being tugged at? These emotions can be mistaken for fear of course, how and why? I will leave that up to the person that is seeking ghosts, not thinking rationally about the environment surrounding them. The TV spirit hunters reported sudden cold spots in the exhibit while at particular locations; I looked on the website to make sure that they still had the ginormious Iceberg as a part of the display. Sure enough, Iceberg ahead! Ice is cold folks, especially in big chunks! Way to exploit a tragedy and turn it into folk lore for future generations!
Energy- It is totally possible that items can be some kind of “collector” of energies from the past. If someone prayed to a rosary several times in a day over the course of twenty years, it is possible that those persons “energy” could be somehow, be collected within the object. Anything is possible right? I recently read a story about a haunted bedroom set. She purchased a full sized bed, dresser and armoire. Once the woman settled into her not so 
new antique bedroom set, strange things started to occur. Nightmares, waking up in terror, voices and even the feeling of being cold, while under the blankets. She dealt with them for a while and finally realized her problems started once the furniture arrived. She sold it (not on Ebay) and the terror stopped. On a psychological level, even small changes can generate anxiety within a totally stable person. She was convinced that the bedroom suit had some kind of bad Mojo to it, but it could have been because it was different, different enough to cause interrupted sleep. Kind of like when you go stay at a friend’s house, or a hotel, maybe a B&B and you just have a lot of trouble sleeping. You brain is aware of what is going on, your senses are peaked but you are in that state of “cat nap”. It’s just uncomfortable. Throw in the belief of ghosts and you have a whole new batch of nightmares heading your way. More and more I have watched places and items, just because they are old earn a haunting status, because of its age and outer appearance. I have learned because some items or places are old, does not make it haunted, creepy maybe, but not haunted. I will be so bold to state this as a fact.
Thinking- When we obtain something new, we subconsciously remember the day, if it was a fantastic gift, you will remember it more, it’s that simple. People have things that are strange and odd take place all the time, throw in a rusty old tea set and watch the imagination can run wild. Awareness is what is taking place, later putting two and two together, and then even as more time passes by, making a full fledged mystery out of it, mystery means “ghosts” in today’s society. Today, it’s easier for people to admit they have a ghost or haunted object, before they would ever admit that they are forgetful, having sleep problems and should probably see a doctor. It is possible these have allowed their imaginations to run wild because they have a new creepy doll sitting in their living room. That’s what you get for buying creepy dolls! The best part of a haunted item is that the majority of reports are that when the people “get rid” of the item, the haunting, bad luck and curse seems to stop instantly. Sure, it can be in their minds, but then again, there is always a possibility!
I am a proud owner of a vintage ventriloquist dummy that was sold not as “haunted” but just as “it’s creepy, and it scares my kids, I need to get rid of it”; it was given to me as a birthday gift. Of course in the right hands, the dummy would be a full fledged demonically tuned haunted doll ready for 
sale on the Internet, with a hefty price tag of course and totally worthy of contacting those as seen on TV ghost hunting teams! The doll sets proudly in my living room. I have yet to have any disturbances, but its faded little eyes do follow you wherever you are in the room!
On this blog, I would like to open it up for you to post your theories, stories and ideas about haunted items. Is it a paranormal-psychosomatic or is there something else? Please share your story & thoughts.
Here is a listing of items that are for sale on the internet if you are willing to become a collector of haunted items.
Oh, if you need “removal” of your haunted items, contact me I will come and pick them up for you!
- http://www.squidoo.com/dollrobert
- http://reviews.ebay.com/HAUNTED-DOLLS-AND-THE-SHAKEN-BABY-SYNDROME_W0QQugidZ10000000001040944
- http://www.warrens.net/annabell.html
- http://www.melodief.com/ghosts/contributions/clock.htm
- http://www.squidoo.com/tales-of-haunted-grandfather-clocks
- http://antiques.about.com/cs/holiday/a/aa102203.htm
- http://interiordecorating.suite101.com/article.cfm/haunted_furniture
- http://www.johnzaffisparanormalmuseum.com
Oh, want to buy more than just a haunted item? Try buying a haunted house?
http://www.sdparanormal.com/Haunted_House_Listings.html
PS- before you attempt to exploit your house to sell in this type of fashion, remember that stigmatized property takes 50% longer to sell and will depreciate the value tremendously! Think twice before you attempt to rake in the “big bucks” with a bogus haunted property.
Bring home the psychic!
While opening the press release I started to read, then I started to laugh and then I took a moment to reflect on how crazy things (and people) are these days, in and out of the paranormal field. I will type excerpts from the press release and offer my opinion.
“Have you ever thought of being your own psychic?”
Wow, what a great question! Who doesn’t want to be psychic these days? How convenient it would be to be able to have the upper hand on life, death, and fame and of course the lottery!
“Inspired by so many people who are now seeking spiritual solutions, Los Angeles psychic, Tori Hartman created a way for people to create the future they choose.” Just watching the news these days, people are bombarded with economic worry and angst about their future. It’s not a secret, but reading this headline makes me feel as if I was back in the 1930’s, during the Dust Bowl as citizens at their wits end paid money to self proclaimed “rain makers”. There are some things in life we can not control or create, no matter how good the marketing campaign may be. Choosing a persons future has nothing to do with being a psychic, or anything that smells psychic. It’s about working hard towards a goal to achieve it, there is no other way of putting it!
“The person that you go to for answers has created products that help you find your own.”
My own what?!
“Increasingly, customers seek Hartman’s “Do-it-yourself” aroma-therapy Intention Candle Kits. In fact, Hartman reported a 50% increase in overall sales by the end of her first quarter in 2009″
Well, here is the problem. People like for their homes and offices to smell nice people use candles and even the newly on the market electric oil products There are many things on the market that can make a place smell “psychic”,I mean nice. So, it appears this woman is nothing more than a candle dealer that has discovered a gimmick to sell products. Good for her, I guess? Times are tough all over, but I have to ask, why lie about what a product can do?
“My work is about empowering others to do psychic work without me.”
Said Hartman, “What could be better in a tough economy?” I totally understand that life, as a potentially bad psychic can be rough. But exploiting peoples tough times for personal gain? Yeah, I thought psychics were into that little thing called “karma”?
Reading into the Press Release, Hartman is quoted more and more. She uses phrases like “Bring home the psychic!” and “she has helped high-profile entertainment clientele, such as Jeff Lewis of Bravo’s Network Flipping out”, I have never heard of this high-profile person, I had to Google him, and I’m still not impressed. “She created her line so that anyone and everyone could access the immense focusing power of the universe to create their dreams.” Am I the only one that believes that people make dreams happen, not candles?
She claims the candles she sells are “psychically” scented with aroma-therapy to activate the energy of one’s intention. ” Key word found! Intention! Intention is not for sale! It’s free to anyone that can dream it up. You can stop at your local retailer, pick out your favorite candle, light it up and sit and pray or meditate for hours focused on your intentions and maybe even psychic abilities. The funny thing to me about this Press Release is that there are no special magical oils mixed with these candles, no pixie dust or leprechaun blessings, just aroma or some sort.
Visiting Tori Hartman’s website, I was intrigued until I noticed the pricing was on average, a 50 bucks a whack to “get you in tune with your spirit guide” candle, not to mention the other candles that seem to have an unmentionable magical ingredient. Prosperity, House Blessing, Healing, Divine Love (not just regular love), and of course Inspiration. If I am not correct here, but at my local grocery store, I have walked by many of these same types of candles and they are only $5 each.
Psychics- Being a paranormal researcher, I am often surrounded by those that feel they have some kind of psychic ability. Some “ghost hunters” out there claim to talk to dead people while on investigations. I have known some of these people for years and I recall, very vividly that they were not “psychic” a year or two back. Perhaps they too have stumbled upon these magical pixie products that have help them create their psychic abilities? I have also noticed that with some paranormal researchers, when things “get boring”, they instantly become psychic. It creates a lot of hysteria which in turn creates confusion that later is to be declared as “ghostly activity”. Not just anyone can just become “psychic.” I am tired of meeting people that claim to possess this super hero like power, really, you are talking to your dead Aunt Flow, prove it, make her say “Kiss my grits” or something! Prove it! But then again, I would not say that there is no such thing as psychic ability. I do know the better psychics are not out “hunting ghosts”. They already see dead people, so why must they “hunt” for them? Most respected psychics out there, are not ghost hunters, and they will also argue that the ability can not be taught that it was something they were born with it.
Intention: Since January 1st, I have woke up everyday and told myself that I am in fact psychic. Why? I want to see if I become psychic of course! I am just convincing myself that in fact I will see dead people. I figure if a person lies to themselves over time, they will become convinced, that’s typically how it is, right? For example, many people that blame little mishaps in their home and they instantly believe it to be a “ghost” because they watch too much paranormal TV. Over time that ghost becomes more real and even takes on a identity of it’s own. Sometimes the belief is so real, that it can even make professional ghost hunters witness unexplained activity. This applies to all ghost hunters, psychics and even candlestick makers. If you believe enough, it will come true, for you.
I have a long running product in my house, I call it “Specter Spray”. It’ s a home made aromatherapy (modified febreezey product) spray product that I have used over the years. After I ventured into dark spooky places during my paranormal research assingments. Just a quick spray, to keep the “ghosts” away, out of my house and away from my family. I would spray the repellent and guess what? No more boogie man! The spray even works on monsters, trolls and those “bad” clown fairies that live in the closet. This repellent works just fine for my 9 year old and I will continue to use the spray until she officially no longer believes in Santa Claus. If you are interested in purchasing “Specter Spray” contact me here! It works! Ask my kids!
Seriously folks, I do believe in a few things that are unexplainable, maybe even supernatural. But I do ask that you do not throw your money away on self help products like these. Fifty bucks a whack, use that money wisely in these tough economic times. Invest your money, give it to a local charity, put it away for a rainy day, perhaps purchase a therapy session at your local psychiatric office? Just because a self proclaimed psychic says it’s a good idea, does not make it a truth or worth a shot.
If you do in fact believe everything that a psychic tells you, I have a message from the other side for you. My personal psychic tells me that everyone needs to start thinking critically about supernatural claims and that people need to start using common sense. Believe this or go buy over priced candles! Your choice!
Sincere Blogger,
Tonya Hacker
Paranormal Eyes
Send me all yoru paranormal goodies! Good and bad! tonya@ghouli.org
