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2003 Encounters:
Haunted House and Failed Exorcism - La Plata, Maryland

Mt. Iron Apparition Caught on Videotape - Mt. Iron, Minnesota

Dissolving Figure at Fort Garry Hotel - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The Dark Specter on Charles Island - Milford, Connecticut

Little Girl, Long, Red Hair - London, England

Poltergeists and Shadows - Iceland

Shaking Beds and Psychic Visions - Chino, California

Circling Chinese Bride - Shandong, China

A Name Called and a Bloody Nose - Princess Anne, Maryland

Unwanted Ghostly Roommates - Naples, Florida

Haunted House in Rochester - Rochester, New York

Ghostly Meow - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Breath of the Soul - Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines

Annoying Entity - Indiana

Spirits Magnet - Hopkins, Minnesota and Joshua, Texas

Ghostly Escape From Alcatraz - San Francisco, California

Basement Gravestone and Haunted Noises - Collinsville, Connecticut

"Help Me, Mommy!" - McCalla, Alabama

Spooked in Forest Park Cemetery - Brunswick, New York

A Protecting Shadow - San Antonio, Texas

Cat Haunting? - Battle Creek, Michigan

Warm Breeze From a Fallen Friend - Fillmore, California

A Ghostly Fight at St. Francis Hotel - San Francisco, California

Chicken Skin in the Mango Tree - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Tormented by Tall Shadow Man - Manchester, New Hampshire

Mom's Visit and the Smell of Gardenias - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Granville State Forest Orb - Granville, Massachusetts

Evil Voice Over Neil Sedaka - Indianapolis, Indiana

Cochem Castle Ghost - Cochem, Germany

Evil Stocky Specter - Iowa

Rage at a Malignant Presence - Noblesville, Indiana

The Haunted Farnsworth Inn - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Drawn to Psychic Energy - Herndon, Virginia

Ghost of Mars? - Hooe, England

A Sign from Pappaw - Texas

Ouija Boards and a Shaking Bed - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Misplaced Objects and Strange Events - New Hope, Pennsylvania

The Haunting That Follows - Norman, Oklahoma

Woman's Mocking Laugh - York, Pennsylvania

Evil Apartment - Phoenix, Arizona

Troubled House Spirits - Mount Sterling, Kentucky

Gabrielino Indian Family of Spirits - Pico Rivera, California

Capital Memorial Parks Cemetery Mausoleum Visits - Pflugerville, Texas

Spillway Light - Cave Run Lake, East Kentucky

Rafter Man at Summer Camp - Dahlonega, Georgia

Winnipeg's Haunted Fort Garry - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Swallow Hill Road Haunted House - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Slapped in the Face - New York, New York

Shadow Figure at a German Manor House - Outside of Hamburg, Germany

Visit From the Angel of Death - Tel-Aviv, Israel

Ouija Board Warning - Ontario, Canada

Psychic Energy Cloud - Los Angeles, California

Heavy Breathing and a Flying Penny - San Roman and Edinburg, Texas

Scratching Around the Room - Walnut Creek, California

Ghostly House Guests - Arizona

Family's Guardian Angels - Mesa, Arizona

Eerie Premonition - Paralowie, South Australia

Angry Spirit with Black Eyes - Columbus, Kansas

Ghost of the School Caretaker - Fermanagh, Ireland

Forest Park Cemetery Shadow - Troy, New York

One Last Visit From Daddy - Monticello, Arkansas

Vicious Hag - Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Phantom Tennis Court - North Cambridge, Massachusetts

Mural Orb - Palm Beach County, Florida

Civil War Soldier Ghosts - Marietta, Georgia

Supernatural Magnet Dog - Indianapolis, Indiana

Late-Night Footsteps - Bethel Island, California

Haunted Bathroom - Orchard Park, New York

China Hutch Orb - Chisholm, Minnesota

Creepy Childhood Home - Indianapolis, Indiana

Puppy Orb - Minersville, Pennsylvania

Family Spirits at a Birthday Party - Princeton, Illinois

Spectral Attack at Forest Park Cemetery - Troy, New York

Hong Kong Master, Protecting Spirit - Sai Kung, Hong Kong

Greyhound Orbs - Canastota, New York

"We'll Never Get Out of Here" - New Jersey

Louden Road Ouija Board - Fredericksburg, Texas

Midwestern Georgia Ghost Hunt - Georgia

Dreaming Man - Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Night Shadow Man - Ontario, Canada

Brooklyn Doorman - Brooklyn, New York

Nightly Horrors at 1:15 AM - Brisbane, Australia

Prankster Boy - Hopkinsville, Kentucky

The Hand in the Dresser - Livonia, Michigan

Childhood Orbs and Mist - Hibbing and Chisholm, Minnesota

Tagging Along and Playing Pranks - Central Illinois

Spirit Send Off - Lowell, Massachusetts

Attacking Old Hag - Bradbury, California

Back Porch Woman - Greensboro, North Carolina

Returning Grandfather - Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Ireland Ghost Bus Tour - Dublin, Ireland

Halloween Work-House - Penicuik, Scotland

Held Down Sleeping - Souderton, Pennsylvania

Visiting Christmas Mist - Fairborn, Ohio



Added October 17, 2003

Mom's Visit and the Smell of Gardenias

Rate this encounter:
Votes:61 Rating: Rating = 7.02 Ratings Breakdown
M.J. Downs, Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 11, 2003, info@ghostvillage.com

My mother passed away suddenly on May 6th of this year after a trying year of ill health. She was desperately trying to stay alive and well for my daughter's wedding on May 10. At the wedding, the gardenia she was to have worn (her favorite flower -- she was wed with a corsage of them, 61 years ago) was placed on the altar by the unity candle. Our daughter wore a matching one in her hair in lieu of a veil. The night of Mother's Day, after the kids had left on their honeymoon, and all the false courage was laid aside, I went to bed for the evening, totally exhausted. I was asleep, and my mother showed up and she said, "I was talking to your dad and he said that you had a really nice wedding -- the reception was wonderful, and the buns were especially good." It was so real that I woke up, and the smell of gardenias in the bedroom was so strong that it made my eyes water. I could still feel the spot on my leg where she had patted it. there were no wedding flowers in the house -- so I know it was not a carryover from that. I know that it was mom, telling me that she was okay with things.

Her mother had a similar experience back in the 60's -- only her experience recurred over three nights, after the sudden death of her husband under anesthesia. He was seeking help getting into heaven, and when she instructed him that he had to do it himself, he sighed, left the room, and closed the door after himself. I don't know if that sort of thing "runs in the family" or what, but while I am not exactly freaked out by this, it does give me pause. It was a gentle experience, but definitely stayed with me.




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