Anyway, if a short feels like it contains elements I’d find in one of my spooky dream scenarios, I’m always more than happy to post it. Vanish is one of those films that seems to have tapped right into my unconscious mind’s nocturnal adventures in strangeville. While the short’s ending raises more questions than explanations, I do like the creepy elements that hold this film together until the end.

Source YT user: junmar13

For a little more clarity about the ending, here’s a direct quote, from the filmmaker: “the ghost took him as part of her collection.”

Update 10/15: This giveaway has closed. Thanks to everyone who entered. I’ll be in touch with the winners today. Ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties are dying to visit you this Halloween. Okay, maybe there won’t be any ghoulies or beasties but I can promise the ghosties will come calling, if you’re one of the winners in this A Haunting contest. Over the last year I’ve given away seasons 1 through 3, so this time we have the fourth and final installment of A Haunting up for grabs. Five people will win the entire fourth season (ten, one-hour long episodes) in this brand new DVD box set. Here’s a description of the horrors waiting within:

New Dominion Pictures’ A Haunting: Season 4, takes you inside ten real-life horror stories that originally aired on the Discovery Channel. Each eerie, one-hour episode features eyewitness accounts and cinematic reenactments of some of the most spine-tingling, ghostly hauntings ever recorded. Even the most skeptical observer will be shocked and intrigued by these spellbinding tales.

If you haven’t caught any of the previous seasons of A Haunting, not to worry — you won’t be lost. Each episode introduces a brand new encounter with the paranormal.

Here’s a quick peek into “Echoes of the Past,” one of the episodes contained in this box set:

Source: YT user, ClearstreamSound

This giveaway will be closing the middle of October (for more details see below). I’ll be doing my best to rush ship A Haunting to all five winners so they can receive it in time for Halloween!

Also, I know some visitors have expressed a concern as to whether or not it’s okay to sign up for more than one giveaway at a time (I’m often running two or three giveaways at once). I so appreciate the concern, and you’re more than welcome to enter each of the giveaways I’m running. Speaking of entering multiple contests, be on the lookout for another spooky giveaway coming in early September.

Please, only one entry per household. Duplicate entries from the same IP will be deleted. These giveaways are really based on the honor system, but I do my best to make it as fair as possible for everyone. There’s no catch here, everything is free–including payment of shipping and handling for “A Haunting”–I cover all costs. To be entered, leave a comment below showing your interest.

Depending on the volume of entries, comments may only be displayed under this post for a short time. As entries grow, I may remove comments to make it easier for visitors to scroll to the comment box and enter. However, I guarantee all entries will be saved in the order they are received.

When leaving a comment, be sure to include your correct e-mail address and be certain to keep track of your spam or bulk folder after the drawing closes, just in case. Each winner of the A Haunting box set will be contacted through the e-mail address that’s registered with their comment. I will never share addresses, provided by entrants, with any third parties and you’ll never receive unsolicited mail when entering.

This “A Haunting” contest will end at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on October 14, 2010. All legitimate entries will then be assigned a number in the order they were received. Five numbers will be randomly drawn to determine the winners.

All five winners will then be notified, via the e-mail addresses they provided, no later than October 15th. If one, or all five don’t respond (with their shipping information) within two weeks, then one (two, three, four or five) more number(s) will be drawn to determine the new winner(s). Upon receiving their permission, the winners’ names will be featured at the top of this post.

If you would like to see your Halloween or paranormal website or business promoted through SOS and you have some appropriately themed items to give away, please contact me.

Source: YT user, callmesnake

Source: YT user, g8trman77

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Source: YT user, SirKhairul

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Here’s the strange experience I had while visiting the Kelly ghost town this past Monday: Forty minutes had passed. I assumed I was on borrowed time when it came to being completely isolated at the mine’s headframe structure and gaping mouth. With the morning growing late, inevitably, some other tourist/hiker would arrive, destroying the serenity and interrupting the flow of my ongoing EVP and photo sessions. While Kelly is at least three or four miles from the nearest house, and is neatly tucked into the mountainside, it does draw an occasional visitor or two over the course of a few hours.

However, thanks to the elevation and utter silence around the entire location, whether at the mine, cemetery or in “town,” you’re always alerted when someone has arrived. Up to that point, I hadn’t heard a single vehicle driving around or voices of any kind that would indicate I had company down below. But feeling a combination of luck and greed to have had the mine all to myself for so long, I decided to start back towards the old abandoned foundations in town.

Gathering up my gear, I reversed direction, carrying my water bottle, camera, tripod, KII meter, and digital recorders down the incline that led up to the mine. Carefully navigating the rock strewn road, in order to prevent twisting an ankle and dropping equipment, I kept glancing ahead to strategically plot my next step.

As I came within a few yards of the church (pictured above), I noticed a completely real looking young boy between six and eight-years-old riding a squatty bicycle. He rode out from behind some brush, came into clear view, did a buttonhook in the road, and went back behind the same spot where he first appeared.

In terms of perspective, the boy didn’t actually ride out of the brush, but rather, he rode out from the dirt parking area in front of the church and then rode back in. However, from where I was standing, there were a few bushes and trees between my position and his point of origin.

Though I hadn’t heard a vehicle drive up while I was at the mine, I assumed someone had slipped in and brought their kid(s) to have a picnic under the covered area near the church. A little dismayed at the idea of having an entire family to deal with while trying to shoot video and conduct my EVP sessions, I walked a few short feet off the main road to get a better look at the parking area and to see what I was dealing with—it was completely empty; no cars; no trucks; no people; and no little boy riding a bicycle. This was impossible because I had just seen the boy seconds earlier.

This revelation caused me to kick it into high gear. I got back onto the main road and quickly made my way to the church. Assuming I’d find the child and his family on the backside of the building, I knew I’d look like a complete jackass if I came face to face with someone while racing around the church, but I was willing to take that chance in order to prove to myself the boy was real.

As I rounded the corner, my mouth dropped—absolutely no one was there. I continued around the front of the building, checking all the gates and doors—gates were closed and doors were locked (from the outside with padlocks). I then began scouring the surrounding area and found no sign of anyone. The parking area only showed a few automobile tracks that appeared to be from the previous day (or older) but no bike tracks were present.

I know one thing for sure; I would have absolutely heard a car or truck start up and leave, especially considering my close proximity to the church, if in fact the boy had ridden up with someone. I also would have seen the vehicle leave, since the road I was walking down is the only accessible road in and out of the ghost town. Not to mention, several family members went with me during this trip and all were high up the mountainside with an excellent view of the entire location—not one of them saw a vehicle coming or going during the time I was looking for the boy.

So, the only other possibility I can think of outside of the paranormal was he rode up by himself. However, the washboard-like road in and out of Kelly has a significant incline to it and it’s covered in places with jagged rocks. I can’t imagine a six, seven or even eight-year-old child riding a small bike (not a mountain bike with gears) up that road for over three miles. And again, I would have seen him leaving as I was making my way to the church.

As for a description of the bike, it all happened so quickly that I didn’t get a lot of details, however, it didn’t appear to be current, yet it also didn’t appear to be something out of the nineteenth century. The best way to describe it would be somewhat contemporary, and considering Kelly was around until the 1940s; it’s feasible a boy was riding such a bike in the area during the Mid 1900s. The child had dark hair and appeared to be wearing some sort of a short-sleeved shirt and long pants.

Whether the boy was a conscious spirit or an imprint (a.k.a. a residual haunt to use the terminology of television ghost hunters), I cannot say. But I don’t believe he was a flesh and blood child in the moment when I saw him.

A little info on the church’s history: Built in 1948, it was constructed using the wood from a dismantled saloon and Kelly’s dancehall (according to New Mexico Mineralogical Record, volume 20, number 1, January-February 1989).

I’m thinking of taking out an ad in the Magdalena or Socorro newspaper (the towns closest to Kelly) asking people to e-mail or call me if they’ve had any paranormal encounters at the old ghost town. I’d love to hear what’s gone on there and if in fact anyone else has seen the little boy. If I do it, then I’ll be sure to blog about the results. The image in this paragraph is of a sign that stands guard outside the mine’s entrance. I took a shot of it because I particularly liked number nine (click on the image for a close-up view).

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Source: YT user, missesyouneverknow

If you’re looking for a ton of great ghost and paranormal vids, then I highly recommend checking out missesyouneverknow’s channel. She has a lot of good stuff, including many paranormal programs I’ve never seen before.

On an another note, I’m due to post an update on the Angel of Death, but I’ve been really busy working on some other things this last week, so I may not have a video posted until next week.

When it comes to programs like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, there seem to be just as many fans out there as there are detractors. And while I’ve definitely watched my fair share of episodes, I don’t fit into either category—rather, I’ve always fallen somewhere in the middle. This is probably partially due to the fact I’ve never cared about getting involved in the lives of the personalities on the shows. I don’t find the whole “reality” television aspect of ghost hunting programs all that appealing. For me, I tune in because I want to see the evidence that was collected, as opposed to getting to know the cast in an intimate way.

And while I think shows like GH have done a good job of getting the ball rolling on eliciting an interest in paranormal investigations, I would like to start seeing more conscious ghost hunting programs with a higher purpose for being on the air. Essentially, the means for making the most basic and rudimentary forms of contact have already been established on the current paranormal programs. It’s been shown that “spirits” can state their names; the time in which they lived/died; their emotional state of being, and on occasion, can slightly manifest or manipulate physical objects.

But aside from showing that communication is possible, what other purpose is being served in the current lineup of ghost hunting programming? The most obvious answer is entertainment, and I get that, however, it’s often stated that the purpose of these programs is to help. Yet, rarely does someone receive real help during televised investigations; certainly the viewer isn’t being helped and neither are the energies responsible for the hauntings. We’re all being entertained (of course, I can’t speak for the ghosts), but we’re definitely not being helped.

I also understand that the premise of a program like Ghost Hunters is to obtain information to present to the client about who or what may be haunting their location. I’m not saying Ghost Hunters isn’t serving that purpose, but what I am saying is that I would love to see a new style of ghost hunting programming–an evolution of the genre, if you will.

So, what do I think a more conscious, truly helpful ghost hunting program would involve? I believe its main focus should hinge on obtaining answers (from “spirits”) to deeper questions, for example: What’s the meaning of life? What’s the afterlife like? How does it feel to make a transition from this physical plane to the next plane of existence? Where do we go after we “cross over?” Do we retain all aspects of our personality after we pass on? Is the so-called white light a myth? Where does religion and spiritualism fit in based on your (the spirits’) current understanding of the afterlife? What’s your (the spirits’) explanation for the concept of god? etc.

To me, approaching paranormal investigating with the goal of obtaining answers to these types of questions would be far more beneficial, even if responses are sketchy at best and elusive at worst. After all, who among us hasn’t been curious about our place in the Universe and where we’re going next? If legitimate answers could be obtained, then wouldn’t that be a huge help and possibly a great comfort. Not to mention that these types of questions cause people to think more outside the box—an important component for our own personal growth.

During the hundreds of hours of EVP work I’ve conducted, the majority of my probing has centered on the themes mentioned above. Admittedly, most energies are dodgy when it comes to answering these deeper questions, or else they inform me that they’re not allowed to reply. However, that doesn’t mean these pieces of the puzzle can’t be obtained over time.

It is possible that the majority of energies who communicate with the physical plane don’t possess these answers or perhaps they indeed aren’t allowed to share them with those of us on the earth plane. And perhaps it’s naïve to think just because a person has transitioned into a nonphysical state, they have access to greater knowledge, however, I believe the questions should still be asked.

But, I suppose the major issue (in the mind of television network executives) pertains to viewership. How many people would watch a ghost hunting show whose purpose is deeper than what’s currently being broadcast—notwithstanding possibly obtaining incredible answers about our existence? Obviously, when it comes to television programs, reality-based or otherwise, viewership (aka dollars) is all that matters. If the viewers tune out, then affiliates start dropping like flies and advertisers follow suit. A really good show can have its butt handed to it before you can say “boo”–all because it didn’t line the network’s pockets.

Overall, I believe the current crop of paranormal shows are fine for the purpose they serve. I’m just interested in seeing new programs come about that challenge ingrained concepts and help to foster our own personal growth through knowledge which may be obtained via the other side—something I like to call smarter, more conscious ghost hunting.

I still don’t understand why there isn’t a 24/7 paranormal network on cable or satellite. If I had the money, I’d go to work on amassing a team of people to create such a project. And the network would be built primarily on intelligent, paranormal programs that sought out answers to deeper questions.

The title for today’s entry reminds me of a spooky spot I’d love to visit somewhere in the deepest, darkest of woods. However, Autumnforest isn’t a location you can go to physically, but instead, she’s a person who’s created the virtual equivalent of that spooky spot amidst the woodlands. Comprised of all the things I hold dear: Halloween, the paranormal, and the creepy; Autumnforest’s Ghost Hunting Theories is a fantastic blog for Halloween buffs, horror fans and supernatural aficionados alike. While I could write a lengthy entry describing her knack for crafting amazing tales of horror, or talk about her mind-opening theories that shatter antiquated concepts regarding the paranormal; in this post, I’m focusing on her ’09 Halloween haunt/party.

Being a fellow inhabitant of the Southwest, Autumnforest knows just how challenging it is to transform desert landscape into autumnal scenery. Capturing the more commonly associated feelings of fall and Halloween, amidst cactus and rocks, isn’t always easily accomplished, yet she manages to pull it off without a hitch and is a great hostess to boot! I’m busy enough tending to my yard haunt on Halloween night, but she manages to find time for decorating the yard, taking care of trick-or-treaters and entertaining party guests. I wonder if she’d like to bring her talents to New Mexico on October 31st? I could always use an extra hand.

In all seriousness, her haunt has a lot of great elements — the graveyard scene and haunted doll room being two of my favorites. I know she has plans to expand even more for Halloween 2010 on the scary doll stuff and I can’t wait to see exactly what she has up her sleeve.

Whatever you do, whether you’re in the mood for Halloween, horror or theories on the supernatural, you gotta swing by Ghost Hunting Theories. It’s indeed the virtual equivalent of that sweet, spooky spot way back there in the forest.

“In Search of Spirit Voices” source: YT user, beautystruck

While our airwaves were already very polluted with physical forms of communication when this episode aired (1981), at least, at this particular time, cell phones and the like could not have been to blame for causing spirit voice pick-ups.

With recorded spirit voice captures reportedly dating back to the 1950s (a time when airwaves were a lot “cleaner”), it seems there is some legitimacy to this form of communication. Due to some extremely intense personal experiences with disembodied voices (both through recordings and real time audible encounters), I believe in this phenomenon.

Admittedly, some of our recent recorded captures from the last few weeks have proven to be interference or random pick-ups from stray electronic devices. However, the ones we believe to be “spirit voices” appear as direct, follow-up responses to posed questions about intimate or obscure subjects.

When these specific forms of responses “appear,” for me, it all but rules out interference from physically based electronic devices. Not to mention, in our findings, disembodied voices (in EVP form), containing specific responses, have an altogether different sound, cadence, repetition and tell-tale click or popping noise about them.

To date, none of these unique characteristics have been found in any of our interference captures. So, there may be a way to decipher the difference between the two types.

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