With the many solar flares expected, this will be an ideal time to test your own ghost hunting theories about this.  Here’s one news story about the [...]]]> 2012 and 2013 are predicted to include high levels of solar flares.  Some researchers suggest that solar flares contribute to higher paranormal activity, especially at haunted locations.

With the many solar flares expected, this will be an ideal time to test your own ghost hunting theories about this.  Here’s one news story about the latest solar activity — an X5 (high) level flare on Tuesday evening, 6 Mar 2012 — and predicts its arrival, as a form of solar wind at or near Planet Earth, on March 8th or 9th.

Sun unleashes huge solar flare; possible Earth-bound solar storm – Washington Post (blog)

news.google.com

Space Ref (press release) X class flares are the strongest category of solar flares. According to NASA, they can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting …

Here’s NASA’s video about the current activity.

Apparently, “sun’s magnetic cycle peaks every 22 years while sunspot activity crests every 11 years.”  That’s what it says at Earth Island Journal, and — according to them — both of these events peak in 2013.  That journal raises the spectre of solar activity putting an end to nuclear energy.

Other reports are less hyperbolic, but the effects of solar activity on electrical devices is still a concern.

Solar Flare Big Enough To Cause Catastrophe On Earth Called Surprisingly Likely – Huffington Post

news.google.com

A new study published in the journal Space Weather analyzed the frequency of the solar storms that cause auroras and found that there’s a one in eight chance…

So, with this in mind, it’s important to check science news and reports about the influence of solar activity on electronics.  This is important because, especially with highly sensitive equipment, we want to be sure we’re measuring paranormal activity.  If it’s simply the influence of solar winds on our EMF meters, EVP recorders, and so on, we need to discount that.

However, the question remains: Does increased solar energy empower spirits to manifest in our world, communicate with us more directly, or anything else pertinent to ghost hunting?

I’m not sure, but I’ll be interested in hearing opinions and results from the upcoming solar impact on our planet.

In the previous podcast, Fiona Broome discussed these locations:

1. Hall Memorial Library, Northfield-Tilton, NH.

2. Tilton Mystery Tunnel, Tilton, NH.

3. [...]]]> Laconia, New Hampshire is a gold mine of haunted locations.  This is Part 2 (of 2) about haunted places around Tilton, Franklin, and Laconia, New Hampshire.

In the previous podcast, Fiona Broome discussed these locations:

1. Hall Memorial Library, Northfield-Tilton, NH.

2. Tilton Mystery Tunnel, Tilton, NH.

3. Two buildings and a cemetery at Webster Place, Franklin, NH.

4. Daniel Webster birthplace, Franklin, NH.

In this 27-minute podcast, Fiona talks about visiting Laconia, NH with a neighbor.  He remembered a house from his childhood; the house had “ghost stories” and a legend about a hidden Underground Railroad room.

Fiona describes what happened when they visited the house, including evidence of its Colonial history, the Underground RR room, and hash marks on the attic staircase walls and the inside of the door.

However, the owners of the home assured Fiona and her neighbor that there were no ghosts there.

The next day, Fiona returned to that area and found several other sites worth investigating:

Tavern 27 at the Mystic Meadows, 2075 Parade Road, Laconia, NH, and the gift shop behind it.

The former site of the Anti-Pedo Baptist Church of Meredith, NH, which was burned to the ground on behalf of a neighbor, Mrs. Morgan.

Mead Cemetery (433427N / 0712936W) and Round Bay Cemetery, Laconia, NH.

Fiona also recommends looking for the Folsom graves at Laconia’s Union Cemetery (between Garfield St. and Academy St.), where the petrified bodies were reburied.

How to find similar haunted locations where you are:

1. Ask people if they know any local, haunted places.

2. Follow your instincts.  Drive around, look at maps, and — psychic or not — pay attention to your “gut feelings.”

3. Research history! Look for patterns — geographical or historical — that connect the locations.

4. Ask more questions.  Collect more stories and look for “odd” comments and history.

5. Investigate, then ask more questions, and conduct more historical research.

However, their popularity has also led to some really bad ghost tours, and some shady marketing methods.

What kind of ghost tour would you like?

I’m aware that “good” or “bad” depends on what you’re looking for. The grid at right can help [...]]]> Ghost tours are popular all year ’round, and especially at Halloween.

However, their popularity has also led to some really bad ghost tours, and some shady marketing methods.

What kind of ghost tour would you like?

I’m aware that “good” or “bad” depends on what you’re looking for. The grid at right can help you find the right ghost tour for you.

To be sure you’re getting tickets for a ghost tour you’ll like, ask questions before you buy the tickets.

Many people are looking for the experience. Will it be scary and seem real? Or, will it be silly, ridiculously theatrical, and just for laughs?

There are audiences for both kinds of tours.

Will you be accompanied by young children on the ghost tour? You’ll probably want something that won’t give them nightmares. Choose the tours that’d fit the right side of the quadrant: Both silly and funny and obviously made-up.

Tell the tour operator if you’ll have small children with you. Ask how scary the tour could be, and how lurid the stories are. No tour guide or company wants to be sued for emotional distress that could have been avoided.

Are you on your own, or with other adults? Do you want something kind of creepy, that you’ll laugh about later, because — looking back on it — the stories were so obviously fake?

Ask (a) if the tour is scary at times (does anyone scream), and (b) if it’s “all in good fun,” and folklore more than serious stories of tragedy.

Tip: No tour operator wants to be asked if the stories are “fake” or if the tour is “ridiculous.” They’ll respond better to words like folklore, colorful stories, lots of laughs, and so on.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something genuinely terrifying with real history — London’s Jack the Ripper Walk comes to mind — ask the tour operator if the tour is okay for small children. If they reply with a firm “no,” that’s probably the tour you’re looking for.

Also, if you’re expecting some genuine ghost hunting experiences, ask if the stories are all real and if they were researched academically. The term, “academic,” will usually put off anyone with fake stories.

I’m not popular on some ghost tours in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

They usually pause at the LaLaurie Mansion and talk about Madame LaLaurie screaming at her slaves in a French accent. At that point, I tend to remind the audience that Madame LaLaurie’s husband was French-speaking. She was actually the daughter of Irish immigrants. If she had an accent, it probably wasn’t French.

And, if the tour guide points to a window on the third floor and describes the (probably fictional) horror of the little slave girl leaping to her death, I often blurt that the third floor didn’t exist when Mme. LaLaurie lived there. The third floor was added later.

Fake tours don’t like people like me in the crowd. If you’ve already done some historical research about the locations along the tour, they won’t like you, either.

Many of the best ghost tours are somewhere between fun and scary, and mix researched history with some credible folklore.

Use the quadrant above to decide exactly what you’re looking for. Then, be sure to ask appropriate questions.

Shady marketing practices among ghost tours

Recently, I spoke at the Central Texas Paranormal Conference in Austin. During the event, I chatted with another speaker at the event, Dash Beardsley (owner of Ghost Tours of Galveston).

For many years — probably since 1999, when his tours were launched — I’d heard great things about them. According to reports, his tours are the second most popular ghost tours in the United States. (New Orleans usually claims the #1 spot for ghost tours.)

So, he knows a thing or two about ghost tours.

Dash shared some insights about the darker side of the ghost tour industry… and not the fun kind, either.

New ghost tours are trying to cash in on the reputation of established (and well-liked) ghost tours. They’re copying the names, just enough to confuse visitors. So, when you’re looking for Ghost Tours of Oshkosh (Wisconsin), you might see a list like this:

• Ghost Tours of Oshkosh
• Real Ghost Tours of Oshkosh
• Original Ghost Tours of Oshkosh
• Scary Ghost Tours of Oshkosh
• Best Oshkosh Ghost Tours
• Ghost Tours Wisconsin
• Wisconsin’s Best Ghost Tours

(That’s a made-up list. I have no idea if Oshkosh has ghost tours, or what they’re called.)

That name game is why you need to ask questions before you take the tour. And, if a friend recommended a tour to you, get all the details from him or her, so you know exactly which tour to take.

Refund policies on ghost tours

Whether or not you’re on the tour you’d expected, you usually know — within a few minutes — if it’s the right tour for you. If it isn’t, discreetly let the tour guide know that you’re leaving the tour and you’d like a refund.

The problem is: Some tour companies give no refunds for any reason. Ask what their refund policy is, before you buy your tickets. (Most honest tours will refund your money in full, as long as you leave the tour within the first half hour or so.)

But, by the time you realize it’s not the right tour for you… it may be too late. If you’re only in town for that night, it’s probably too late to join the tour you wanted, and your evening was wasted. Don’t let that happen. Always ask questions before the tour starts and before you buy tickets.

Plan ahead for the best ghost tour experience

As you can see, planning ahead — asking the important questions — can make all the difference. It’s especially important if you’re looking for a particular kind of ghost tour: Something safe for little kids, or something with perfect historical accuracy. Print this article and use it as a guide when you’re shopping for the best ghost tours.

And, if you’re in the Houston or Galveston area…

If you happen to be around Galveston, be sure to take one of Dash Beardsley’s tours. He’s a colorful guy (and an impressive musician – he played some of his music during the conference) and his tours are internationally famous.

Here’s the link: Ghost Tours of Galveston (And, for the record, Mr. Beardsley did not ask me to mention him, his tours, or even his music.)

After studying hundreds of cases, here are my suggestions for the best EVP results:

1. Ask questions. [...]]]> For over six months, I’ve been collecting EVP results from a wide range of paranormal teams and individual ghost researchers. My goal was to see if there are patterns we can use to improve our EVP research techniques.

After studying hundreds of cases, here are my suggestions for the best EVP results:

1. Ask questions. Ask each question once or twice. Repeating the question doesn’t seem to help. Also, your results won’t improve if you rephrase the question. Phrase it clearly — not using modern slang — and ask it just once or twice.

Remaining silent won’t improve your results. At least 90% of the successful EVP recordings were responses to statements or questions. Allow breaks for the spirit to reply, but don’t just sit in silence. If you’re quiet, the ghost is likely to be quiet, too.

2. Assume that the ghost is male. If you’re using contextual cues, talk about things that will interest a man. (Unless you’re sure the ghost is female, don’t ask about kitchen chores or things classically assigned to women.)

If you have a name for the male ghost, use it. If not, it’s okay to use general references such as, “Sir, we’d like to talk with you.” Or, “Hey, guy, I want some answers.”

3. Expect anger. For the most intense responses, investigators should sound as if they are angry, antagonistic, or afraid. These emotions — even if portrayed in theatrical ways — are likely to resonate with the spirits and evoke a reply.

If anyone on your team is genuinely frightened, or good at venting anger, he or she should be included in your EVP research. The ghosts may be more responsive to real emotions in someone’s voice and demeanor.

(This is not a license to taunt or “provoke” ghosts in cruel ways.)

4. Adjust your recorder for quiet voices. Most voices were recorded at normal or quiet levels. Set your recorder at a high sensitivity level, and — if it’s an option — choose an omni-directional microphone.

(Some microphones only record directly in front of where they’re pointed. Others record anything in the general area, in front of the microphone, in back of it, or on any side. You want the latter, so you’ll record voices and sounds from anywhere around you.)

5. Stay with your recorder. Hardly any EVPs were reported when recorders were set up, and left running while the investigators explored another room or area.

Survey statistics

Over 90% of the EVPs were recorded in response to an investigator speaking or asking questions. Fewer than 10% were recorded when the investigator was quiet, or when the recorder was left running while the team went to another room.

More than 80% sounded like the voices of male adults. The remainder were mostly female adults. Very few sounded like female children. Only one researcher reported recording male children’s voices, and his results seemed like an anomaly; most of his recordings included male children.

An equal number of EVP voices replied in normal or quiet tones. Slightly less than 15% shouted at the investigators, even when the ghost was clearly angry.

In other words, the anger was conveyed with the words used or the tone of voice (including hissing sounds and obvious sneers), not in volume.

Most of the EVPs were clearly related to the comment or question by the investigator (or investigators) recording the EVP session. However, when asked to repeat something (or if a question was repeated with the same or different phrasing), most ghosts did not reply a second time.

About 1/3 of the recordings seemed to include random words and phrases, apparently unrelated to the questions asked. (This ratio seems consistent with results from Ovilus, Puck, and other real-time communication devices.)

When a mood was evident in what was said, the responses were almost equally distributed among the following emotional levels: Apathy, anger, pain, grief, fear, or boredom. Only anger seemed more prevalent, and that was only slightly.

In the future, I’ll be conducting additional surveys related to ghost hunting techniques and practices. I hope you’ll participate, so we can pool our information to improve our research results.

[Thanks to Joanne W. for helping us restore this article to Hollow Hill.]

The following RCA voice recorder (with built-in USB arm) is the one I’ve been using for my research.  A refurbished model is probably good enough for most beginners.  And, my RCA voice recorder has been reliable for over a year, so I think it’s a good, inexpensive recorder to start with.

See if you like — and get good results with — EVP in your research.  (Back in the late 1990s, when surveyed, it seemed like professional ghost researchers had great results with a camera or a voice recorder, but hardly anyone excelled in both EVP and ghost photos.)

See larger image RCA VR5320R 1GB Digital Voice Recorder (Office Product) List Price: Price Not Listed New From: Check Amazon For Pricing In Stock

After its years as an early American residence (owned by the Haddock and Webster families, among [...]]]> The Franklin Historical Society is located at Webster Place in Franklin, New Hampshire.  The building is a Colonial-era home — once the residence of Daniel Webster — with a large Victorian addition.

After its years as an early American residence (owned by the Haddock and Webster families, among others), the home was used as an orphanage from 1871 through 1958.

Then, from 1960 through 2005, the site was the property of the Sisters of the Holy Cross.

More recently, the building was acquired for the historical society.

In the photo at left, taken on 7 October 2010, you can see just part of the older side of the building. Most of the picture shows the 1860 Victorian addition.  (Yes, that is a large orb near one window on the middle floor.  Some photos of the front of the building included orbs; most didn’t.)

I was attending a talk by EPNE.  They described their experiences during a preliminary ghost investigation at the site, and shared some stories plus video and EVP recordings.

It was a relaxing evening, and a chance to see what’s going on in the field, in general.

After EPNE’s demonstration and a break for refreshments, I explored the building with friends (and fellow researchers) Sean Paradis and Lesley Marden.

Ground Floor: Warm Spot

First, we focused on a ground floor room with school desks stored in it.  (From the front entrance, the room is immediately on your left.)

This is part of the Victorian addition to the Haddock-Webster mansion.  The two-story addition was constructed in 1860 by Rufus L. Tay, who’d purchased the house and property from Daniel Webster’s son and heir.

(Daguerreotype at left shows Daniel Webster in 1847.)

One rocking chair seemed to have an odd warm spot while the chair next to it was as chilly as we expected, in that unheated room.

However, we hadn’t planned to investigate anything, so we didn’t have a thermometer to verify the effects.

Note: Some researchers believe that a cold spot indicates ghostly energy, but a warm spot suggests more dangerous energy.  I haven’t explored either from a good/bad viewpoint.

Nearby, all three of us felt that one spot in the room had unusual energy, but those were merely odd sensations. Those are difficult to document.  We detected no unusual EMF with a K-II meter or a hiking compass, at any part of that room.

Lesley and Sean checked the floor immediately upstairs, but the door to the room overhead — and all doors along that side of the house — were locked.  They appeared to be used as offices.

The Mezuzah Room

When we explored the rooms that were open upstairs, one room was odd. We’re fairly certain it’s the room where EPNE thought a flashlight had responded to yes/no questions.

What seemed especially strange in Franklin, NH — particularly since it was a home for nuns for 40 years — was the mezuzah at the doorway.

According to Wikipedia:

A mezuzah is affixed to the doorframe in Jewish homes to fulfill the mitzvah (Biblical commandment) to inscribe the words of the Shema “on the doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 6:9).

Some interpret Jewish law to require a mezuzah on every doorway in the home apart from bathrooms, and closets too small to qualify as rooms; others view it as necessary only to place one in the front doorway.

I’ve seen many homes that feature a mezuzah at the front door.  Others have additional mezuzahs throughout the home.

However, until last night, I’d never seen a home with a mezuzah placed at just one, interior doorway… and none anywhere else. There were no marks where other mezuzahs might have been, either.

So, why would a mezuzah mark the one, apparently most-haunted room in the building?  Was it an attempt to keep something out… or something in?

It’s possible that, when the building was divided into apartments or rooms, that room was the residence of someone Jewish, or someone who respected related traditions.

Further investigation might clarify whether or not that room is actually haunted, and why a mezuzah is at that doorframe and no other.

Nevertheless, in a town like Franklin — and particularly in a building where nuns lived — it’s odd.

After getting our general bearings at a site that we’re investigating, the first thing we look for is what’s odd.

The Attic

Among other, lesser architectural anomalies, the attic level stood out as a floor with dark and foreboding energy.

The glow-in-the-dark crucifix on one wall was charming.  The row of clothing hooks — at a height used by toddlers or small children — was a little disturbing.  I’m not sure what small children would be doing in the attic, particularly with the steep, semi-finished stairway leading to it.

A storage feature in the attic also seemed unusually repellent.  A further investigation of the site’s history might reveal more.

All in all, we concluded that the Franklin Historical Society has some odd features worth exploring.

However, it didn’t seem as if the society welcomed additional investigations; EPNE was allowed in as preparation for the historical society’s October presentation.

So, I can’t recommend the Franklin Historical Society’s building as a general research location.

The Window at the Front

After the event concluded, Sean, Lesley and I chatted outside the building.  We were startled because we thought we saw a curtain open for a moment at an attic window.

Then, when I was taking pictures, the flash highlighted the actual scene.  We realized that it was one of the windows that doesn’t have a curtain; it’s shuttered or otherwise blocked from the inside.

We’re not sure what we thought we saw, but each of us saw it, independently.

That’s the kind of anecdotal evidence that makes ghost hunting interesting, but, as scientific evidence, it has no merit.

The Window at the Back – Who Closed the Curtain?

Sean had parked his car at the back of the building, and Lesley and I felt that we should escort him to it.  I’m still not sure why.  At the time, it seemed kind of funny, both in an odd and in a ha-ha way.

As we studied the mixed architecture at the back of the building, all of us commented on another attic window.

It’s indicated by the red arrow in my photo at the right.  That side of the attic has curtains, and one was open.

As we chatted, I took a few photos.

Most of my pictures, like the one at the right, aren’t noteworthy.  It’s a typical New England house from the Victorian era.

However, as I studied the photos when I returned home, I kept looking at the window that troubled us.

Most of the pictures look like the following two.

(All of the following photos were adjusted to increase contrast and detail.)

I’ve included two of them, almost identical, so you can clearly see that the curtain is open.

(This is typical when I take photos.  I try to take two pictures in a row, without moving.  That way, if something is just a reflection or something normal, it’ll be in both photos.  If it’s an anomaly, it’s more likely to show up in just one of them.)

Then, I looked at one of the next pictures.  I’d walked a few feet to the right of where I stood for the previous photos.  This one was taken with a slower shutter setting.  It’s a little blurred, but the details remain fairly clear.  (I’m testing the idea that the additional image content might give the spirits something extra to work with.)

As you can see, the curtain is closed.

There would be nothing unusual about that, except that the building was empty. Everyone had left and locked up, at least 15 or 20 minutes earlier… before I started taking pictures.

In addition, the window had appeared open. If I’d analyzed my photos on the spot, we might have been able to verify that.  (Yes, we can see the vertical line.  That may be from a window, but it could be a screen support or something else.)

Could it be a very odd reflection?  It’s possible, but unlikely.  As you can see from the contrast in the previous photos — even the first one that wasn’t adjusted for clarity — the opening at the window looked very black.  I’m not certain that a reflection could completely offset that darkness.

Though I can’t recommend this exact location for investigations, it’s an interesting site in a town with many reminders of the past.

The Franklin Historical Society is at 21 Holy Cross Rd.  That street is off Route 3, about 3 miles south of the intersection of Routes 3 South/3A North/11 and Route 127.  Signs near the entrance indicate Webster Place Center and Webster Place Cemetery.

The cemetery is at the end of the road.  It’s on private land, but the owners give permission to visit the cemetery, under certain terms.  Please read the sign and follow their rules.

The road to the cemetery is a deeply rutted dirt road.  I recommend parking at the side of the paved road, to hike in to the cemetery.  It’s not a long distance, but cars with low clearance could sustain damage or get stuck, unless you drive very carefully on the dirt road.

Additional History

Webster Place Cemetery was previously known as Salisbury Cemetery, from an era before the town of Salisbury (NH) was incorporated as part of Franklin.

According to Wikipedia: While still part of Massachusetts, the town was granted as Baker’s Town after Captain Thomas Baker in 1736. After New Hampshire became a separate colony, the town was re-granted with the name Stevenstown. Additionally known as Gerrishtown and New Salisbury, the name Salisbury was taken when the town incorporated in 1768.

In 1746, this site was part of the northernmost fort of the Merrimack River, when Salisbury was called Stevenstown. The fort was built after the 1745 attack on the Call family, near the current location of the Franklin Historical Society.

The following excerpt is from The History of Manchester, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. It describes an attack by “savages in the interests of the French,” a band of about 30 Abenaki.

On the 15th day of August [1745], they made a successful attack on our frontier, on the house of Mr. Phillip Call, in Stevenstown. This town was subsequently known as Salisbury and the attack was made in that part of Salisbury, west of, and upon the Merrimack, now included in the town of, Franklin.

Mrs. Call [Sarah Trussell Call], her daughter-in-law, wife of Phillip Call, Jr. and an infant of the latter, were alone in the house, while the Calls, father and son, and Timothy Cook their hired man, were at work in the field.

Upon the approach of the Indians, Mrs. Call the elder, met them at the door, and was immediately killed with a blow from a tomahawk, her body falling near the door, and her blood drenching her own threashold! [sic]

The younger Mrs. Call, with her infant in her arms, crawled into a hole behind the chimney, where she succeeded in keeping her child quiet, and thus escaped from sure destruction.

The Calls, father and son, and Cook, saw the Indians, and attempted to get into the house before them, but could not succeed. They were so near the house, as to hear the blow with which Mrs. Call was killed.

Seeing however the number of the Indians, they fled to the woods and the Calls escaped.

Cook ran to the river and plunged in, but was pursued, shot in the water, and his scalp taken.

The Indians, some thirty in number, rifled the house, took Mrs. Call’s scalp, and then retreated up the river.

The Calls soon notified the garrison at Contoocook of the attack, and a party of eight men followed in pursuit.

The Indians waited in ambush for them, but showed themselves too soon, and the English party taking to the woods escaped, with the exception of Enos Bishop, who after firing upon the Indians several times was at length taken and carried to Canada as a captive. “

According to the Rich History of Webster Place, “…Many of his [Webster's] family, together with members of the pioneering Call family, are buried in the cemetery east of the house.”

If you’re researching the Call family and their graves, note that the Call surname was sometimes spelled Cole.

As you can see, a colorful history makes this general area worth investigating.

Recommended

If you’re researching haunts in this part of New Hampshire, stay at the 1875 Inn in Tilton, New Hampshire.  It was featured on the Ghost Hunters TV show, Season Six, Episode 13 (aired 8 Sep 2010).  It’s about 20 minutes from the Franklin Historical Society, on Route 3 in downtown Tilton.

Or, if you’re willing to drive another hour and a half north on Route 93, you can stay at the haunted Spalding Inn, owned by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson (stars of the Ghost Hunters TV show) and their families.

References

The Rich History of Webster Place

Franklin Historical Society, Franklin, NH

Daniel Webster Farm, SeacoastNH.com

The History of Manchester, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

The History of Salisbury, New Hampshire

Koasek Traditional Abenaki Band

Phillip Call of Franklin, NH (genealogy notes)

Wikipedia: Salisbury, New Hampshire

The old families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts

Has someone complained about a ghost on a staircase?  Ghost hunters need to respond quickly to [...]]]> Haunted Stairways – or a good job for a carpenter?

Here are some low-tech ways to investigate haunted stairways, plus some extra footage at the wonderfully haunted hotel, The Spalding Inn, at Whitefield, NH.

Has someone complained about a ghost on a staircase?  Ghost hunters need to respond quickly to this kind of complaint.  It might be a normal — but dangerous — problem.  Finding a normal reason why someone feels disoriented on the stairs could save lives.

To investigate a haunted stairway, you’ll need:

• A carpenter’s level (under $2.50 at most hardware and DIY stores).
• A ruler or tape measure, or both.
• An EMF detector (to check for leaking EMF, usually from wiring concealed under the staircase).

Here’s how to test the staircase to see if the problem is normal, not paranormal:

She divides visual phenomena into five kinds:

1. Light and shadows, including shadow figures.

2. Figures that look like people — sometimes with clearly observed [...]]]> What do ghosts look like?  In this 18-minute podcast — the first of two — Fiona Broome explains what to look for, if you’d like to see a ghost.

She divides visual phenomena into five kinds:

1. Light and shadows, including shadow figures.

2. Figures that look like people — sometimes with clearly observed faces and clothing — seen out of the side or corner of your eye.

3. Visual distortions, where proportions seem odd, or you see wavy lines.

4. Reflections, including:

• Reflections from windows, especially at dusk or after dark.
• Reflections on shiny and polished surfaces such as metal, tabletops, and hardwood floors.
• Strange reflections in mirrors, especially older mirrors, and often at dusk or at night.

5. Full apparitions that appear like living, breathing people… but they do something that signals that they aren’t regular, living people.

Click here to listen to this podcast online (MP3)

Mentioned in this podcast, or related to this phenomena:

The Falstaff’s Experience, Stratford-upon-Avon, England (visual distortions)

Houmas House, Louisiana (ghostly reflections)

The Myrtles Plantation, Louisiana (haunted mirror)

Haverhill, Massachusetts (haunted historical home with mirror)

The Spalding Inn, Whitefield, NH (visual distortions, upstairs hallway)

Margaret Byl (one of the organizers of the G.H.O.S.T.S. conference in May 2010, where Fiona will be among the speakers)

Primeval TV series (BBC America) (good representation of visual anomalies)

Music: Zombie, written and orchestrated by Devin Anders0n