It's February! I'm excited to start a new month, full of ghostie goodness at Theresa's Haunted History! Although it's a short month, I'm thinking it's going to be a busy month. I have an investigation coming up with Haunted Beckley at a never-been-investigated-before location, which I'll definitely share more details about later this month. I was able to snag one of the Haunted Beckley memberships, so this year should be filled with some really fun investigations, tours, and events. Of course, I'll be blogging and posting all about those adventures on social media, so keep an eye out on Facebook and Twitter.
Also, as you may have seen in previous posts, I've joined Spectral Research and Investigations, a new paranormal investigation team based in Huntington, WV. We are currently recruiting new members, so if you're located in the area, or are willing to travel, and would like more information about our organization, shoot me an email, comment below, or contact me on Facebook/Twitter.
I'm hoping to make some progress on some other research projects throughout the month, and continue to read, watch, and listen to as much paranormal media as I can. Let's take a look at what kept me busy in January:
Books Read:
1. Hauntings and Poltergeists: A Ghost Hunter's Guide, by Loyd Auerbach. This is a re-read for me, but it's been quite a few years. I highly suggest this book for anyone involved in paranormal investigations, as it takes a look at ghosts and hauntings from a parapsychology viewpoint. It's a really enlightening perspective about what might cause the phenomenon of ghosts, hauntings, and poltergeist phenomenon...and contains a clear explanation of how parapsychology defines those terms.
2. Gazetteer of Scottish and Irish Ghosts, by Peter Underwood. There were tons of stories jammed into this rather full volume of ghostly tales from Scotland and Ireland. Most of the stories were actually about Scotland, so if you're interested in that area of the world, this is an awesome collection by a well-known ghost researcher and author.
3. Haunted in Alabama, compiled by Marie Tayse. A free Kindle ebook, this one actually wasn't that bad! It was a fairly short, but well-written collection of haunted locations throughout the state of Alabama. It was a quick, fun read. The 'compiler' is the founder of Seeking Answers Paranormal, so even though there wasn't a ton of in-depth information about the history behind the haunts, each entry was written from the perspective of someone who has the respect and knowledge needed to write a paranormal non-fiction book.
4. Unexplained Mysteries of the World, by Brian Kingsley. Another short, free Kindle ebook, but also a quick, enjoyable read. There was a little bit from many areas of paranormal interest represented in this book, including hauntings, lost civilizations, and ancient aliens.
5. Underground Bases, by James and Lance Morcan. The idea of secret, underground bases used by our government, a NWO shadow government, or even extraterrestrials, is something that intrigues me, so I'm always willing to take a shot at learning more. While the authors claim to have personal experience with such bases, and provide fairly objective data, this was still another short, free ebook, and thus was just an introduction of sorts to the topic. It wasn't bad.
Documentaries: This wasn't a very productive month for documentary-viewing for me, lol.
1. A Race of Giants--Free on Tubi and on YouTube. Did giants once walk the earth, and if they did...where did they come from? This documentary explores those questions, talks a bit about North American burial mounds said to contain the remains of these giants, and goes over some of the newspaper articles from the early 20th century discussing common descriptions of these giant skeletal remains. I was disappointed that West Virginia seemed largely left out! Anyway, as a freely available documentary, it's not bad. I had it on in the background while working on an art project, and it was an interesting and enjoyable distraction. Hardcore researchers and those well-read in the subject probably won't get much out of it, but it was a nice introduction.
2. Alien Moon--Free on Tubi and Amazon Prime. So, I have a slight obsession with the moon. Ever since I can remember, I have been drawn to the moon. I love it's beauty, I love its place in folklore, and (don't hate me) I love moon-related conspiracy theories, lol. This documentary tries to solve the question as to what the moon actually is and why it's there. Quite a few theories are presented, but ultimately, the message is that the moon is hollow, and is an artificial satellite, acting as an alien base/former spaceship. If anything, this documentary gave me some leads for further study, and I'm trying to keep an open mind. Again, it wasn't terrible; it was just something fun to casually watch.
Podcasts: There are so many great podcasts dealing with the paranormal! This month I focused on just a few.
1. Wild and Weird WV Radio: I love this local podcast on all things weird and wonderful in West Virginia and beyond! I caught a few episodes this month including:
a. Fallen Worlds Chapter 2: Chasing Giants---in a weird bit of synchronicity, I listened to this right after watching the documentary, A Race of Giants.
b. Hopkinsville Goblins---this show was all about Kentucky's weirdest 'alien' encounter!
c. Lake Monsters---another great show, this time discussing lake and other aquatic monsters throughout the world.
2. This Uncanny Earth Episode 132 with Chris George: Chris George is a park ranger and paranormal investigator who shares some strange experiences in the parks he's worked at. If you're interested in the Missing 411 series, you'll enjoy this episode.
3. Paranormal Round Table Episode 106: Cryptid Connections to Ancient Animals with Ken Gerhard. I've been a fan of Ken's for a long time, and always look forward to his lectures at the annual Mothman Festival. In this episode, Ken discusses some real life ancient animals that may be the basis for modern cryptid sightings.
4. Appalachian Mysteria: I've listened to Season 1, which deals with the WVU coed murders, plus a recent episode where a mysterious code plate was decoded. This was a REALLY in-depth look at the murders, the potential suspects, some mystical connections to the murders, and of course, whether or not the convicted killer was actually guilty.
Other:
I've also been devoting a lot of time this month to studying Irish Paganism, which includes history and folklore. Irish Pagan School offers several free classes, and operates a YouTube channel with some excellent information! I'm not exactly interested in converting to Irish Paganism as a religion, but its a topic that has really drawn me in recently. Like most Appalachians, my family came from Ireland and I'd love to learn more about my roots. As an added bonus, since I do the majority of my investigating in Appalachia, I think it'd be wonderful to gain a broader perspective on the folklore and beliefs that the Irish brought to this area and that may affect the ghost stories still being passed down.
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