WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND A PLACE THAT’S HAUNTED?

Since the film Ghostbusters was released in1985, there has been a fascination for ghost hunting.  The film shows a group of professors that taught parapsychology at their university.  Because of their scandalous behavior these professors, they were fired. As a result, they formed a ghost hunting company, that finds, removes and traps these ghosts in a special vault, all for a price.  It was a delightful film, filled with comedy, special effects, and an outrageous story plot that makes this film a masterpiece.

As a result of this film, a fascination with ghost hunting was sparked around the world.  Suddenly, ghost hunting groups sprang up and television programs followed as if by magic. The TV show’s cameras traveled with these everyday folks and their crews to document their ghostly finds. Years have passed and there is no shortage of ghost hunting groups, still active in their quest to find those elusive spirits.

The common problem is where do we find these haunted places? Some resort to vigils at local graveyards, believing spirits appear nightly and walk among the graves, in time, poor results soured that approach. Talk of obsolete and abandoned institutions like Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, and abandoned mining towns of the old west, carry a reputation of hauntings and have become popular hunting spots.

 Old restaurants or taverns fit nicely into the mix with stories of ghostly happenings at night or even during the day. It’s a guarantee, that if your ghost hunting crew visits such a place, they’ll swear they experienced at least one apparition, cold spot, or the mysterious movement of their drinking glass at the bar. Don’t get the impression that I’m doubting the existence of these spirits or that these places are not haunted, it’s just that everyone gravitates to these same places and the stories that come from their investigations unveil nothing new.

 Here’s facts you didn’t know.  Every Masonic Lodge or Temple is haunted. Why? Serious Freemasons made their lodge an integral part of their life.  They attend bi-monthly meetings for years and the rituals they perform never change and are repeated again and again. To these members, the lodge has become more than a fraternity, it’s now a part of their soul.  When a dedicated member dies, a part of his being remains with the building, waiting intently for the next meeting or get together. While some travel miles to investigate a known haunted place, the Masonic Lodge in town holds untapped spirits within its walls. In my book Absent Witness, I go into detail of the Masonic hauntings at the lodge in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Whereas less than a mile from Lyndhurst in nearby Rutherford, there is a much older lodge building, and the haunting activities are just as active as the Lyndhurst lodge.  If that isn’t enough proof, in my book, Somewhere the Dead are Singing, I recall on two separate occasions, coming face to face, with a ghost at the Masonic Social Club, also in Lyndhurst.

 Lest we forget, museums, hospitals and churches, carry their own set of circumstances that attract ghosts. Museums showcasing the works of artists who poured their heart and soul into their work, most never getting the accolades due them in life. Could they be sticking around guarding and admiring their work after death? Ask a night watchman of a museum if he believes that ghosts exist at the museum?  I’m sure he has stories to tell.

Hospitals the place of healing also carry pain, suffering and death.  Asylums that held the sick and dying or mentally challenged patients, are known for troubled ghosts that keep roaming the halls of the building long after the building has been abandoned.

Churches and cathedrals, some dating back hundreds of years, have within their walls the framework of life of its parishioners. Baptism, Confirmations, Weddings and Funerals. From start of life to the end of life, that building was there for them.  The connection is powerful, especially those with strong religious convictions. It’s no wonder that some remain there long after their deceased body has been carted out of the building.

I hope this gives you something to think about.  The subject of ghosts come up often on the various shows I’ve been on.  I’m fortunate to have met serious professional investigators who take the subject seriously and shared with me the highs and lows of their investigations. In turn, I enjoy passing that information on to you.