Ghost Stories

If you haven't noticed, it's award season and the biggie is taking place on February 22nd. In honor of the Academy Awards, Laurie Jacobson, author of Hollywood Haunted: A Ghostly Tour of Filmland , will be posting two weeks (10 Oscar-related ghost stories). For all ghouly film fun, check out the series on the Encyclopedia Britannica Blog: http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/02/haunted-hollywood-a-new-blog-series-10-oscar-related-ghost-stories-in-honor-of-the-academy-awards / Happy Friday the 13th! Watch out for the black cats!

If you're a fan of Paranormal State, you're already familiar with this game. Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai a.k.a. Ancient Japanese Candle Game is simple to play. At night, you light a hundred candles. All players gather around these candles and one by one tell a kaidan or ghost story. After each person tells a story, you extinguish a candle until all have been blown out. The object of the game is to evoke spirits, a hundred to be exact. It's unknown how this game began. However, it is believed Samurai warriors were the first to play as a test of courage. It later became popular among the townspeople. Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai and an advancement in technology led to many kaidan themed books, collecting stories from Japan and China. Has anyone played this game? Have any stories to tell?

Xenoglossy is a paranormal phenomena where a person speaks a language not obtained by natural means. For example, a person who speaks Italian fluently without studying, being in the country or knowing anyone from that country is said to exhibit xenoglossy. Case of this phenomenon have been used as evidence in the existence of reincarnation. The existence of xenoglossy is not generally accepted by linguists and psychologists.

Kelpie is a mythic water horse in Celtic folklore who supposedly haunts Scottish and Irish rivers and lochs. Black in color, it appears as a lost pony but can be identified by its constantly dripping mane. It has skin like a seal but as cold as death when touched. They are known to transform into beautiful women in order to lure men into their traps. The water horse creates illusions to stay hidden, keeping only an eye above water to scout the surface.

Also known as Paranormal Stimuli and Theory of Familiarization, this practice is not widely used as you can not always be accurate. Basically, the theory is based on familiarization. If you investigate a house or location, you can try playing music or movies from a certain era in order to coerce a spirit to show itself. As sometimes you can't be certain of the "ghost" haunting the location being from a certain era, it's a hard theory to experiment with.

K-II meters are little devices with multi-colored lights. It is primarily used for detecting electromagnetic fields and frequencies. Some paranormal investigators also use it for communicating with spirits. An entity can approach the device and manipulate it in response to specific questions. Investigators are still experimenting with it and it has caused some controversy.

If you really listen to some nursery rhymes, they sound more dark and disturbing rather than light cheery. Ring Around the Rosy a.k.a. Ring a Ring o' Roses is believed to be about the Bubonic Plague. If you examine each line, it kind of makes sense. "Ring Around the Rosy" represented the skin lesions that appeared as a bright red ulcerated spot surrounded by a ring. The next line, "Pocket full of Posies", had more to do with superstitions than anything else. Back then, people burned, carried, or rubbed down their houses with all kinds of herbs. However, it is believed doctors carried around posies. They even filled the masks they wore with it. There are some variations in the third line. Some say "Ashes Ashes" which is believed to refer to the burning of bodies. "Husha Husha" represented the quiet in towns due to death or desertion of three-quarters of the population. "Tishoo Tishoo" is suppose to mimic the sound of sneezing. Howeve...

It's uncertain where the Ouija Board first originated, but if you think Parker Brothers came up with this idea, you would be wrong. According to some, something resembling a Ouija Board was in 1200 B.C. China, a divination known as Fu Ji. Others claim Pythagoras, in 540 B.C., would conduct seances at "a mystic table, moving on wheels, moved towards signs" in which he and his pupil, Philolaus would interpret to the audience as revelations from the spirit world. Both historic claims have come under debates as being inaccurate. However, talking boards weren't actually used until the Spiritualism movement in the 19th Century. The Fox sisters developed a system of knocks for each letter of the alphabet to supposedly communicate with spirits. Many wanted to mimic their methods and speak to ghosts too. There were many forms of divinations to spell out messages at that time, including swinging a pendulum over a plate that had letters around the edge or using an entire table t...

Did ya know that no accused witches were burned at the stake during the Witch Trials in Salem? They were either hanged or died in prison except for one who was pressed to death. However, "witches" on the other side of the world weren't so lucky. From the mid-15th century to the late 19th century, those accused of witchcraft died by fire, as that was the ultimate element of purification. Many were even burned alive. Despite several British witches and occultist trying to up the number, the number of people who died during this period was between 200,000 to 500,000. I would like to say that we have moved on and put these practices behind us, but in some parts of the country, burning those who are accused of using black magic is still an option. In May, An elderly Indian couple were burnt to death after villagers accused them of practicing black magic. Last year, a barber in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh killed his four-year-old son by slitting his throat with a razor ...

If your birthday is in September like mine then your birthstone is Sapphire. Did ya know the gem was used for healing and magic? Here are a few facts about the uses of Sapphires: Sapphire is love's guardian. It is used to promote fidelity. It can also be used to promote chastity. Because sapphire promotes peace, truth, and serenity, it's worn during meditation. Sapphire is thought to banish fraud, and is used in litigation and legal matters. When you have a fever or a nosebleed, sapphire is placed on the forehead to lessen the fever or nosebleed. Sapphire was important to wizards and seers who used it to help interpret vision and prophesy. The most important attribute of Sapphire was said to be that of protection against sorcery. It was thought to banish evil spirits and frighten devils. It would turn evil sorcery and negative spells back against the sender, provide advance warning of hidden dangers, and free the mind of the enchanted. The Sapphire is also used to enhance the i...

A few little facts about a healing herb called Lavender: Active Ingredients of Lavender 1.) Lavender oil contains up to 50 percent of the alcohol linalol. Linalol helps to kill bacteria and viruses. It also helps to heal burns, wounds and sores. 2.) Ketones are compounds that help to relieve pain, build new skin tissues and reduce inflammation. They also have a sleep-inducing effect. Ketones can be toxic, so lavender that contains an amount above 35 percent should be avoided. Diabetics, epileptics and pregnant women should avoid them completely. 3.) Esters are compounds that ease swelling and soreness, prevent muscle spasms, fight fungal infections and prevent scarring. They also help to regulate your moods, preventing you from experiencing depression and hysteria. 4.) Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be applied undiluted. It can even be used on sunburned or damaged skin. A Natural Relaxant 5.) Prepare for a night of blissful sleep by adding a few drops of lavender es...

Since today is the first day of December, I thought why not kick it off with a special Did Ya Know Friday. Ever wonder where your favorite Christmas traditions come from? You'd be surprised at how many are tied to superstitions. Let's start off with the Yule log. Buying one was considered unlucky. So, you either had to be lucky enough to find one on your own land or get one from a neighbor. First, you fetch the carefully-preserved scrap of the previous year's log from under the homeowner's bed. The new log had to catch fire during the first attempt at lighting it. If it didn't, it was considered a sign of misfortune coming to the family. It also had to be done with clean hands. Lighting a log with dirty hands was a sign of disrespect. Once lit, the log had to be kept burning for twelve hours and could not be tended as long as any scrap of the dinner remained on the table, or while anyone was still eating. As the log burned, people told ghost stories and tales while ...

Did ya know that Mary Surratt was the first female in the United States to be executed? In 1865, she was arrested and charged for conspiracy and with aiding the assassins and assisting their escape. Who was she accused of conspiring against? President Abraham Lincoln. After her husband died, Mary moved with her two kids, Anna and John Jr., to Washington D.C. Her Surrattsville Tavern was being rented to a man named John Lloyd. To make extra money she began renting space in her Washington D. C. residence as well. During the Civil War, John Jr. became a confederate spy and messenger. He met John Wilkes Booth who became a regular at the Surratt boardinghouse. Some believe Mary knew about the kidnapping but not the assassination plot about President Lincoln. As many reported conspirators came and go in her home, it's possible that through Booth's charm she turned a blind eye. Some women are willing to ignore a man's faults despite it all, but I have to say I have much sympathy f...

There are plenty of little facts about our World History that have now intergrated into pop culture in one form or another. Vampires are but one species of nightwalkers that we know all too well from TV, film and books. But how much do you really know about them? Most people now see Vampires as nothing but fictional monsters, but in the 19th Century these beings were seen as a serious threat. In Slavic beliefs, causes of vampirism included being born with a caul (a membrane present on a child after birth), teeth, or tail, being conceived on certain days, suicide, drowning or violent deaths, excommunication, and improper burial rituals. Preventive measures included placing a crucifix in the coffin, placing blocks under the chin to prevent the body from eating the shroud, nailing clothes to coffin walls for the same reason, putting sawdust in the coffin (vampire revives in the evening and counts sawdust until he dies again in the morning) or piercing the body with thorns or stakes. In th...

Some interesting facts: 1. Can witches fly? Medieval witches believed flight was possible with the aid of ointments rubbed on their skin. Practitioners rubbed their bodies with creams made from nightshade and mandrake, which, when absorbed through the skin, created a hallucinogenic effect. This produced the desired sensation of riding on a broomstick across the night sky, helping foster the legend that witches can, indeed, fly. 2. In the summer of 1692, residents of Cape Ann, Massachusetts, became convinced that an army of mysterious strangers had them under siege. They suspected that this "army" was French-Canadians allied with hostile Indians, and gunfire was exchanged. When the colonists went to view the bodies, there was not evidence of them. The strangers were accused of beating on barns and throwing stones, among other things. After the episode had run its course, a clergyman/witch hunter by the name of Cotton Mather speculated that the invaders had been demons. 3. Is i...