Ghosts - research, evidence, and discussion.
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Features Archive:

2009 Archive:
Haunted Cape Encounters - Ghost Chronicles
December 30, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Ouija/Talking Boards with Robert Murch By 30 Odd Minutes
December 17, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Psychic Vampires with Michelle Belanger By 30 Odd Minutes
December 10, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Rosemary Ellen Guiley - Ghost Chronicles
December 9, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Astral Projection with Robert Bruce By 30 Odd Minutes
December 4, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Four Predictions for the USA in 2010 by Lee Prosser
December 3, 2009

Column - regular feature

Secrets of the Holy Lance - Ghost Chronicles
December 2, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Investigating the Gettysburg Engine House - Ghost Chronicles
November 18, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

The Hindu Perspective on the Paranormal by Deonna Kelli Sayed
November 17, 2009


Animal Spirits with Melissa Sehgal By 30 Odd Minutes
November 12, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

There's Something About Resurrection Mary by Ray Johnson
November 12, 2009


Psychic Recommendations By Tiffany Johnson
November 2, 2009

Column - regular feature

Best of Paranormal Journeys By 30 Odd Minutes
October 27, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Anniversary Show - Ghost Chronicles
October 27, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

What are Ghosts? by Rob Conover and Brad Conover
October 26, 2009


Ghostvillage.com - 10 Year Anniversary By Lee Prosser
October 23, 2009

Column - regular feature

Investigating Alcatraz By Mike Brody
October 14, 2009

Column - regular feature

Life, Death, and the Magicians - Ghost Chronicles
October 14, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Conspiracies with Dean Haglund By 30 Odd Minutes
October 8, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Investigating Anawan Rock - Ghost Chronicles
October 7, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Reincarnation By Tiffany Johnson
October 6, 2009

Column - regular feature

Tarot with Scotty Roberts By 30 Odd Minutes
October 1, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Faeries with Rosemary Ellen Guiley By 30 Odd Minutes
September 24, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Crop Circles with Freddy Silva By 30 Odd Minutes
September 17, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Myrna the Death Doll - Ghost Chronicles
September 16, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

The Skinwalker Ranch and April Slaughter By Mike Brody
September 15, 2009

Column - regular feature

A Psychic Rant By Tiffany Johnson
September 8, 2009

Column - regular feature

Parapsychology with Loyd Auerbach By 30 Odd Minutes
September 3, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Doppelgnger By Lee Prosser
September 3, 2009

Column - regular feature

Fort Delaware - Ghost Chronicles
September 2, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Derby Gaol with Richard Felix By 30 Odd Minutes
August 27, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

When Live TV Goes Wrong By 30 Odd Minutes
August 20, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Demons and Exorcism By 30 Odd Minutes
August 13, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

The Pet Whisperer - Ghost Chronicles
August 12, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Interdimensional Beings By Lee Prosser
August 12, 2009

Column - regular feature

UFOs and National Security By 30 Odd Minutes
August 6, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Ghosts, War, and the Paranormal - Ghost Chronicles
August 5, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Eveleth's Haunted Recreation Building By Mike Brody
August 4, 2009

Column - regular feature

2012 By Tiffany Johnson
August 3, 2009

Column - regular feature

Childhood Nightmare or Past Life Memory? By Andrea Leininger
July 30, 2009


Paranormal Comedy By 30 Odd Minutes
July 23, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery - Ghost Chronicles
July 22, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Developing Your Psychic Ability By 30 Odd Minutes
July 9, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Accuracy in Psychic Readings By Tiffany Johnson
July 9, 2009

Column - regular feature

Ghosts and Hauntings - Ghost Chronicles
July 8, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

10 Things Guaranteed to Ruin Your Paranormal Investigation By Beth Brown
July 7, 2009


The Ghost of Tim Hardin By Lee Prosser
July 3, 2009

Column - regular feature

Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) By 30 Odd Minutes
June 25, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Investigating the Legend of Dudley Road - Ghost Chronicles
June 24, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

The Fearing Tavern By Mike Brody
June 22, 2009

Column - regular feature

Ohio Grassman By 30 Odd Minutes
June 18, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Night Terrors By Lee Prosser
June 8, 2009

Column - regular feature

Vampires By 30 Odd Minutes
June 5, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

Those Who Have Crossed Over By Tiffany Johnson
June 1, 2009

Column - regular feature

Thayer's Historic Bed & Breakfast By Mike Brody
May 21, 2009

Column - regular feature

Your Worst Nightmare By 30 Odd Minutes
May 14, 2009

30 Odd Minutes - webcast

A Demonologist the Title Doesn't Make by Adam Christian Blai
May 8, 2009


My Clientele By Tiffany Johnson
May 4, 2009

Column - regular feature

The Ghost Huntress, Marley Gibson - Ghost Chronicles
April 29, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

The Ghosts of Atlantis - Ghost Chronicles
April 22, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Ghosts and Talking Rocks - Ghost Chronicles
April 15, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

A Journey Into the Future? by Richard Senate By Richard Senate
April 9, 2009


Investigating Turtle Mound - Ghost Chronicles
April 8, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Spring Evolution By Tiffany Johnson
April 3, 2009

Column - regular feature

Spiritual Healer, Kelle Eli - Ghost Chronicles
March 25, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Most Haunted's Richard Felix - Ghost Chronicles
March 18, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Return of the Haunted Dibbuk Box - Ghost Chronicles
March 11, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Talismans By Lee Prosser
March 6, 2009

Column - regular feature

A Haunting at the Inn on Washington Square - Ghost Chronicles
March 4, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Manifestation By Tiffany Johnson
March 2, 2009

Column - regular feature

Jane Doherty Investigates - Ghost Chronicles
February 25, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Retrocognition at Mission La Purisima Concepcion By Richard Senate
February 18, 2009


Interview with Brian "The Monk" - Ghost Chronicles
February 18, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

In Search of Edgar Allan Poe Part 2 - Ghost Chronicles
February 11, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Pacific Northwest Ghosts By Lee Prosser
February 9, 2009

Column - regular feature

In Search of Edgar Allan Poe Part 1 - Ghost Chronicles
February 4, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Decompression By Tiffany Johnson
February 1, 2009

Column - regular feature

David Wells - Ghost Chronicles
January 28, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

Live at the Circles of Wisdom - Ghost Chronicles
January 21, 2009

Ghostvillage Radio - podcast

The Painting By Maurice DesJardins
January 19, 2009


Missouri Hauntings By Lee Prosser
January 12, 2009

Column - regular feature

A Night on the
Queen Mary By Richard Senate
January 6, 2009


How Do You Know You're Psychic? By Tiffany Johnson
January 1, 2009

Column - regular feature



October 26, 2009

What are Ghosts?

By Rob Conover and Brad Conover

Have you done an internet search on what exactly a ghost is? If you are in the paranormal field, I imagine the answer is no. I have been in the field for nearly twenty years, and I hadn't done it until recently. I have to admit, I was surprised by what I found.

Growing up in a small town in Missouri, I used to love to listen to ghost stories. Sitting on our front porch in the evening, the adults would often speak of strange happenings around town or from their past. Most were stories heard from so-and-so, who heard it from so-and-so, who heard it from someone who had been there. I always enjoyed these stories and the scared, tingling sensation they'd give me. But I never thought they were much more than tall tales the adults used to scare the kids before bed. I never gave much thought to what ghosts were because I didn't believe I them. But those who did, or at least those who told the stories, always said that ghosts were the spirits of people who had died but hadn't yet moved on to the "other side." As a God-fearing southern boy, that seemed like the most reasonable explanation, if ghosts were real.

Fast forward nearly half a century and I have just come to realize that this is no longer the most accepted definition of a ghost. My internet search revealed just how much the fields of science and the paranormal have crossed, and I think it's great. However, I also think the new three-part definition of ghosts takes all the spirituality, all the heart out of the paranormal field. I say that because it doesn't leave a lot of room for "spirits."

The new definition says there are 1) residual hauntings (essentially a broken record playing the same thing over and over); 2)intelligent/active hauntings (energy left behind by a living person that has basic communication skills, but no soul); and 3) poltergeists (a dark entity that causes problems for the living, and the only part of the definition that leaves room for some sort of soul). No part of this definition acknowledges something that I have found to be a fact: ghosts are people.

A lot has happened since those days sitting on the porch and telling stories. For one, I not only believe in ghosts now, but I know they exist. In the early 1990s I had an accident at work which left me with some unique and initially scary abilities. Among those, I can see and speak to spirits who are trapped on earth. Through my experiences with this ability, I have come to find that the old definition of a ghost is still pretty accurate.

The new definition of ghosts usually begins with "residual haunting." This is the idea that traumatic or powerful events that happen in our realm leave a mark that replays itself throughout time. These marks can be visual, auditory, or extra sensory. All I can say to this is I've never experienced such a thing, though I have come close.

People are creatures of habit. That doesn't change when we die. I have encountered many spirits who were so oblivious to their own death that they continued to do, day in and day out, what they did when they were alive. These were all people whose habits and routines were obsessive and exact in life. I believe these kinds of spirits can account for most of what are called residual hauntings.

For example, I did a case once where the spirits would open doors and shades at the same time every day. The sightings of this spirit all occurred at the same time in the same places. The residents of the house had the spirit's schedule down almost to the second. The same things happened constantly. What I found in that house was a man so set in his routine that he wouldn't let anything, even death, lead him astray.

The old man had died in the house some years before, in his sleep. Though he lived alone, he had been found the same morning he died because his neighbors noticed his bedroom curtains were still pulled shut. Since it was a work day, and they knew their neighbor never took days off or called in sick, they called the police to come check on him. When I spoke to him, he wasn't completely oblivious to the fact that he had died, he just didn't know exactly what to do. He had felt different when he got out of bed that morning, but he just went on with his routine. I have full confidence that the man would have continued that routine for all of eternity if he hadn't found his way to the light. There are many other stories involving people who spent decades doing the same things every day and I can see how they could be mistaken for residual hauntings.

The second part of the new definition is intelligent/active hauntings. These are said to be remnants of a person or event's energy that can interact with the living. When I first read this I thought this was same as my old version of a ghost. However, the definition usually goes on to say that the energy is not part of a person's soul or spirit but merely residual energy that has some basic communicative skills. I find this part of the "new" ghosts to be the most dangerous.

Imagine for a moment that you agreed with my definition of a ghost: that it is a person without a body. To do this, you'd also have to believe that a spirit was in need of help to move on and be with God. It's when you take away this spiritual aspect that you get the current, popular definition that has allowed many people to exploit a suffering soul for personal or commercial gain.

I am not judging anyone here but I have found that usually when a spirit interacts with the living world it is a cry for help. It is not a science experiment.

And last but not least, the third part of the definition is the "poltergeist." This is the dark entity that causes mischief and mayhem and sometimes worse. This part also seems to be the most controversial.

Some people believe poltergeists are spirits of inherently evil people who died and fear God's wrath. Other believe that poltergeist activity is actually caused by living people with telekinetic abilities. They can move things around, sometimes without knowing, based on their mood. And others believe them to be demons sent to earth to wreak havoc. I tend to agree more with the latter, though all theories do have merit.

In my experience, both as a paranormal investigator and as a human being, I have come to believe that there are people who are inherently evil. I have dealt with many spirits who were unrepentant and even a couple who refused to cross over. These spirits could be disconcerting and downright scary but were ultimately harmless. I wouldn't classify any of them as a poltergeist.

I have also dealt with living people who were battling some "inner demons" and making up activity to get the attention of friends and family. These were cries for help from people who needed support, attention, or psychological help. While not always harmless, they were certainly not supernatural or poltergeists.

Lastly, I have never been comfortable with the term "demons." The term covers such a brood range of religious and mythical characters that it seems diluted to me, like the word "dirt." The entities that I have encountered, the only ones who were not spirits of once living people and were capable of physically harmful interactions with the living, I call the devil's angels.

This may seem like potatoes and po-tah-toes to you, but I have my reasons for calling them what I do. These are the entities that can actually harm the living or, more commonly, frighten a person so bad they harm themselves. They have the ability to move things and touch people as well as influence a person's moods and actions. If anyone out there encounters such an entity, my advice is to seek experienced help, and the scientific kind. They can be dealt with and removed, but it takes someone who knows what they are doing.

These definitions and theories of what a ghost may be are not mine; they are some of the oldest definitions of spirits. The problem I see with the current line of thinking on spirits is simple: there is no accountability for a ghost hunter's actions. When a hunt is executed, the scientific results are the main goal. While that is a fantastic way to bring attention to the field, it is dangerous for the people who live with spirits and for the spirits themselves.

Take a moment to think about how you would react if you were the spirit. I'm asking you to again imagine you believe what I know, but it is the only way to come close to understanding what they go through. What if you were the one stuck between this world and the next? What if there were the slightest chance this could happen? Wouldn't you want someone to help you? As a Christian, and a human being, I believe it is our responsibility to help them.

A lot has changed since those evenings on the porch, but one thing remains the same: the only way to make the world a better place, any world, is to help one another in any way we can. When I help a spirit cross over I am really helping that person, as well as the family that had been haunted.

As always, don't believe it because I said it, believe it when you experience it. Until then, keep an open mind and be sure you are always helping and never harming.


Rob Conover is the author of Haunted No More. He has been investigating ghosts since 1991 and has been a psychic/medium since 1995. You can visit his Web site at www.robconover.net.




2014 Haunted New England Wall Calendar by Jeff Belanger photography by Frank Grace
Check out the 2014 Haunted New England wall calendar by Jeff Belanger and photography by Frank Grace!


Paranormal Conferences and Lectures
Don't miss the following events and lectures:

Jeff Belanger and “The Bridgewater Triangle” at Dedham Community Theatre - April 6, 2014 9:00PM

The Spirits of the Mark Twain House - Hartford, Connecticut - April 12, 2014

Paracon Australia - East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia - May 10-12, 2014