Christopher Balzano - Ghostly Adventures: Chilling True Stories from Americas Haunted Hot Spots

GHOSTLY
ADVENTURES

CHILLING TRUE STORIES
FROM AMERICAS
HAUNTED HOT SPOTS

Christopher Balzano

Copyright 2008 by F+W Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any
form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are
made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by
Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

Contains material adopted and abridged from The EverythingGhost
Book by Jason Rich, Copyright 2001 by F+W Publications, Inc.

ISBN-10: 1-59869-679-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-59869-679-0
eISBN: 978-1-44051-558-3

Printed in the United States of America.

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

What makes someone an expert on the paranormal? Its really the same thing that makes anyone an authority on anything; the only trouble is that paranormal experts specialize in something that hasnt been proven. A doctor knows, with some certainty, how a treatment will help someone, and an architect knows a foundation built the right way will support the weight of a certain number of floors. A paranormal investigator, an authority on things that go bump in the night, cant offer those kinds of guarantees. So an expert, the man to talk to about ghosts, is someone versed in the theories.

And the theories are out there. Although I have investigated the paranormal for more than fourteen years, I have maintained my Web site for only seven. When I first published it, I always referred to myself in the plural, although it was only me, in front of my computer, putting the pieces together. When I investigated a haunting, I looked to different people I trusted or who had certain skills. This has allowed me to work with many of the groups in New England and drift from one approach to another. The only thing I can say about this is that it has shown me there are no authorities. There are many groups out there doing good work, and no one comes from the same place on what a ghost is or how to make contact. But that is liberating.

A paranormal investigator, at his best, is open-minded. Show me what you do. Explain to me why you think it works. Does it make sense? Get enough ideas, and find the reasons behind them, and you too can become an expert. When I get a call about a haunting, and I get calls or e-mails every day, my mind runs through what I have experienced. But more importantly, I think of who might be the best person I know to tap for more information. Knowledge makes the expert, and knowing where to turn is the best way to gain that knowledge.

Think of reading this book as having a conversation with me about ghosts. I hope there is enough information here to give you some idea of what is out there. There is a bit of everything, but this book is far from all-inclusive. A sixth grader from Indiana recently emailed me and asked me how to get started in ghost hunting. He wanted to know how to do what I do. I told him not to buy one piece of equipment. Instead I suggested he hit the library and read all the information out there.

Read this book with an inquisitive mind. Question what I say, and challenge me on the point of view I offer you. This book is a resource, but hopefully it provides you with the tools to find the answers yourself. The only real way to know about the paranormal is to experience it enough, to read up on it enough, and to start piecing things together. My real wish is that this book gets you to start asking your own questions. There is something out there we dont understand, and havent since the beginning of time, so maybe the traditional cant answer it. Only fresh eyes can push this forward.

Just please remember to save a little awe in your heart and still get chills when the floors creak in the middle of the night.

PART 1

GETTING TO KNOW
GHOSTS

T he word ghost conjures up different images for different people. For every person who sees little Casper when he hears about ghosts, there is someone else who has touched the unknown side of the worldand been perplexed by it. Until recently, this confusion was matched only by the lack of information out there. They knew they had experienced something, and they knew there were places in their town everyone said were haunted, but what was it they had seen?

With so much unknown and so much undefined, trying to discover what might be haunting a house is like trying to weigh the human soul or find the color of love. This is made harder when there is so much misinformation out there for people to lean on. Contacting a ghost or talking to the dead is not easy. Although there are people whose job it is to help you do these things, you must start with the basics. Consider the who, what, where, and how of your situation and youll be off to a good start! If youre lucky, you may get a clue from the other side, but dont forget, ghosts are notoriously mysteriousthe why might always remain unanswered.

CHAPTER 1

THE LOWDOWN ON GHOSTS

Unless you have already had a firsthand paranormal experience or you believe you have seen or interacted with a ghost, spirit, apparition, or poltergeist, chances are what you are about to read in this book will seem rather bizarre and perhaps a bit scary. The information may also contradict your personal or religious beliefs.

In this chapter, you will receive a general introduction to paranormal activity relating to ghosts and hauntings. Later in the book you will read about professional ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, and people who have experienced paranormal activity. You will learn what to do if you believe youve seen a ghost or experienced paranormal activity yourself, and you will discover places throughout America and around the world where you can visit if you are interested in going on your own real-life paranormal investigation or ghost hunt.

While Hollywood specializes in films like Poltergeist, The Exorcist, The Sixth Sense, and Ghostbusters that typically portray ghosts as evil entities that go around scaring and killing people, the real-life paranormal experiences most people report are absolutely nothing like what you see in movies.

As your quest to further understand the paranormal begins, its important to have a basic understanding of the terms used by the experts to define and describe ghosts, haunts, and other paranormal activity.