Dark Shadow and Ripple of Light; Ball Lightning or My own Ghost Tale?

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally posted by CJFusco
I would love to hear your explaination as to what is happening when a paranormal investigator holding a tape recorder falls in a dark basement, and a disembodied voice on the tape (the man was alone in the basement) could be heard saying "Are you okay?"

Does he get paid to investigate? Does he sell any of his books about his experiences? Does he give talks on his encounters for $$$?

I'm not saying that these voices do not exist, rather that there are down to Earth explanations - some of which are self indulged.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally posted by motion
Probably related to the flashes on the show you were watching. You comfirmed yourself that there were flashes on the tape. Sounds like too strong of a coincidence to ignore.

Originally posted by Z-man
2. A car past your house, and at first blocked the sun, causing the shadow. Then the driver may have put on the headlights -- zenon lights tend to start with a flash...

My thoughts exactly on both counts. What you describe sounds consistent with a car driving by (or turning around) on your street. It probably happened just as the "flashes" on the tape appeared, adding to the "Poltergeist" factor. Now if you come home from work and there are chairs stacked up on the dining table, then I would reevaluate.

[tabs]

Now this is my two cents worth...

I keep my sliding glass door open at night so the dog can go in and out when she wants. Her food and water dish are just to the right of the door. While I am watching TV at night every once in awhile I will see movement from the dishes to the outside. I think well that could be the Ghost of old George...but then think naw its just the frame of my glasses that is causing the illusion.

The other thing that intrigues me is a news story from London that I saw several years ago. It seem that the Brits were finding a door that was kept locked on one of the Royal residences that dates back to I don't know when open. They eventually put a video camera trained on the door, what they found was a Ghostly apprition of a man dressed in 15th century garb. ?????

[tabs]

For U nay says there are so many things that we don't know about. To say that the only thing that exists is what wqe can scientifically prove is absurd. One hundred fity years ago we didn't know Bacteria existed. To say it doesn't exist today is nonsensical. Science and human understanding moves along, slowly revealing the secrets of the universe. Todays hearsay and imaginationary bumps in the night might very well be tommorows scientific fact. To think otherwise is to play God, and a mighty pissant one at that.

[djmcmath]

It's encouraging (?) to read a report from someone who is, for all accounts, a reliable person. I mean, most of the time, I read this sort of thing and it's coming from some schmuck in a trailer park somewhere, and they've got terrible photographs demonstrating that, in fact, long exposures with bright lights do exactly what you'd expect them to do, and I'm thinking, "Wow, what a nutjob, I can't believe this nonsense got published!"

But you're a stand-up guy, intelligent, discerning, and very open to normal possibilities... That's what makes this interesting.

That said, I think Z-Man is onto something. Is it possible that instead of a portal opening in front of the house with a bright light, there was a car (or two -- one with bright lights and the other to cause shadow?) passing in front of the house? Could a car turning in front of the house cause a swinging light like you describe? Can you give us a drawing of the road/reflector/house setup from overhead?


While I'd love to explain it using science, I'm open to other possibilities. I recall waking up one morning with the certain knowledge that there was someone in my room (third floor apartment, and I know I locked the door). I looked around with my eyes, not moving my head ... nothing. The next thing I knew, I had the most bizarre sensation: It was as if an incredibly large person was doing a "front leaning rest" (like the lowered position for a pushup) right on top of me, breathing right in my face. When I say "incredibly large," I mean like superhuman large, like 8' tall, 400lbs, all muscle. I could probably write off the details as my own imagination filling in for fear, but I could almost see a shape, so dark it was absorbing light, with horns and scales.

Utterly bizarre, and probably just inside my head, totally unlike what this thread is about.

[scottmandue]

With serious scientist talking about parallel universes (string theory) it might be possibly unexplained phenomena could be cross talk or bleed through from other dimensions.

Or with the ever increasing levels of radio/microwave/magnetic radiation in our world it might be possible with the proper atmospheric condition to experience spontaneous fluorescing.

[tabs]

DJ how do U know it was just in your head? I trust my imagination and how I feel about things. It is right nearly all the time.

Like I said it might be that the membrane between dimensions becomes transparent at times.

[kach22i]

I asked my wife to read this thread. I told her what I wrote, but it seems some details like the shadow she first saw was actually just behind my head and was not high up on the wall as when I saw it seconds later.

From Mrs kach22i/ George's wife:

Decided I would put in my two cents worth.

I cannot explain what happened in our home last night and I am pretty good at debunking freaky feeling things.

I was sitting on the couch and looked over at George and I thought I saw a shadowy mass moving behind him and then it went away, I chalked it up to an oddity, play of lights or something but George caught me looking at him funny, like I had seen a ghost. I didn't say anything. Next thing I know there is a flash and a shadowy looking thing near the door and then it vanished. It wasn't from the TV, it wasn't from car lights (our windows are high - not at car level or even close). I really thought that it was the front porch light blowing - you know how some lights burst really bright right before they blow out…but the front porch light was on. Honestly if I had to say where the shadow went…it went right through the door, a big wood door. I like stopped for a second and then out the door. It felt like a ribbon of light and shadow moving together in some type of dance. It wasn't a figure but more of a mass, moving up and down in a ribbon type of weave. I can only think of those rhythmic gymnasts that have those ribbons on a stick and they do gymnastics and make the ribbons flow in a beautiful dance, that was what it looked and felt like but more in smoky type of mass. It was fast, it was odd and it was bright and dark at the same time.

At first after I realized it wasn't a light bulb blowing I thought maybe something "blew up" like a house or a car accident, nothing. I remembered then that there was an email that I got from spaceweather.com about a green comet, but it was in Australia so that wasn't an answer either.

George was right, we have had people die in the house, actually 3. We are the second family to own the home. The couple that bought the house just after the turn of the century lived here for quite a few years. I am not sure what happened but I have been told that his wife committed suicide in the bathroom. The man lived on in the home for some time as a widower, then when he got sick his dead wife's sister came to live here to take care of him. They ended up falling in love and they got married. I heard that the died in the dining room. (Incidentally the dining room would have been over George's shoulder where I saw the first mass). She lived on for some time and then she got sick, her nephew came to live with her to take care of her…I heard she also died in the dining room. We bought the house from the nephew. BTW - this was how families did things in this neighborhood; family took care of family. Our elderly neighbor didn't die at home, but we were very close and after she died I thought she hung out here for a few weeks until I started to get over her death.

We do not have kids, but we both have pretty open minds. We have joked about ghosts in the house before because of things like the toilet paper roll suddenly and for no reason - unrolling all by itself. No kids, no pets, not even us nearby…we just suddenly hear it going "thwap thwap thwap" then we come upstairs and it is in a pile on the floor. We have lived here since 1992 and this is the first time both of us saw the same type of thing at the same time. We were not able to duplicate it with the TV, there were not cars on the road. It remains unexplained. Our old cat and this cat sometimes look at the ceiling and look like they are following something and then we look and see nothing…we have made comments that they see ghosts. We even used to hear the cat running up and down the stairs after she died…but that stopped after a few months. Even the neighbors dead cat used to visit us, crawled into bed with us for a few weeks too. Lambert (the neighbors dead cat) liked to crawl into the bottom part of the bed. I used to babysit Lambert for weeks on end while the family was overseas. So he liked us and probably felt comfortable here.

I have been in homes I know were haunted, and not in a good way. This thing last night feels odd but not ugly.

If any of you have been nearby when lightening strikes it kind of felt like that…made the hair on your head kind of stand up and your heart go a little faster but it wasn't creepy, just odd. If it continues I might have to get someone over to make it happy and go away!

[Brian Cameron]

Originally posted by djmcmath
I recall waking up one morning with the certain knowledge that there was someone in my room (third floor apartment, and I know I locked the door). I looked around with my eyes, not moving my head ... nothing. The next thing I knew, I had the most bizarre sensation: It was as if an incredibly large person was doing a "front leaning rest" (like the lowered position for a pushup) right on top of me, breathing right in my face. When I say "incredibly large," I mean like superhuman large, like 8' tall, 400lbs, all muscle. I could probably write off the details as my own imagination filling in for fear, but I could almost see a shape, so dark it was absorbing light, with horns and scales.

You had a visit from the Old Hag... also known as "sleep paralysis": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

[austin552]

There's your sign...

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Brian Cameron
You had a visit from the Old Hag... also known as "sleep paralysis": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

Yep, I get the same thing. Not fun, but now that I know what's going on I don't get as freaked out.

A few Pelicans have had spells:
Sleep paralysis

[alf]

Kach
Any recent events in your lives that might have changed the balance in your home?

[kach22i]

Originally posted by alf
Kach
Any recent events in your lives that might have changed the balance in your home?

Yea, my wife got a job after looking for over a year. She had just started working again.

[M.D. Holloway]

TABS,
I'm not saying these things do not exist, I just have not witnessed anythung that comes close.

I have had experiences in our old house and only saw the aftermath and not the culprit. I have had several things occur with Our Son concerning reading each others thoughts but thats as paranormal as I have got.

I hope there are ghosts.

[stomachmonkey]

All you need to do is own a cat to be convinced that we are not alone or that there is another dimension that we just can't see.

i've owned a dozen cats in my lifetime and sooner or later they all do this, they are just sitting there hanging out, something will get their attention and they will fixate on a point in space, there will be nothing there but still the ears go back, the hair goes up, they growl and spit or sometimes just run from the room in shear panic.

[Aerkuld]

Originally posted by stomachmonkey
...they all do this, they are just sitting there hanging out, something will get their attention and they will fixate on a point in space, there will be nothing there but still the ears go back, the hair goes up, they growl and spit or sometimes just run from the room in shear panic.

I do that myself sometimes.

[Aerkuld]

Seriously - You guys all strike me as pretty smart and reliable. It's interesting to read through this and take in the comments.
My first thought was that it was car headlights or something easily explained, but looking at the position of the windows it doesn't seem like it would work. Then reading Mrs. Kach's comments makes you realise that it is more complicated, we seem to be talking about something that started in the room not on the wall. I can believe that one person can imagine seeing something, but for two people to see the same thing at the same time makes you think there is more to it. It's interesting to hear about other odd events that have taken place. However, I'm sure you could get a toilet roll to unwind itself if the roll spun free enough and there was sufficient weight of paper working on a big enough radius of roll to make the thing spin - but who knows?
I think that too often we miss things, that is to say we will experience something odd and convince ourselves that there is an ordinary explaination. I'm sure more of this goes on than we realise.
I have had a friend that have experienced ball lightening and described it in great detail but it doesn't sound like this. To be honest I have no idea how to explain this but I am fascinated.

[targa911S]

Be honest ....were you high? come on tell the truth.

[pmajka]

since your wife got a job, the ghosts are lonely, that , or you need to dust off that Tube amp.

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by stomachmonkey

I've owned a dozen cats in my lifetime and sooner or later they all do this, they are just sitting there hanging out, something will get their attention and they will fixate on a point in space, there will be nothing there but still the ears go back, the hair goes up, they growl and spit or sometimes just run from the room in shear panic.

Same here... except they don't growl or run from the room... they just fixate on something and stare at it and/or follow it around the room with their eyes... when nothing is there (that I can see)... that really creeps me out.

I'm open to the idea of ghosts but never actually seen anything... when my brother and his girlfriend lived in what is now my very old front house they claimed to see ghosts. I lived in that house for around five years while finishing the back house and never saw anything.