Meditation and Crop Circles and Bigfoot, Oh My! More Fun with St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group

I've fallen behind with my monthly recaps, so today I'll be sharing about the last THREE meetings of the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group! The St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group is an awesome opportunity for like-minded individuals to get together each month and hear a presentation on a wide variety of paranormal topics, with plenty of time after for questions and discussion. The group is open to everyone, and meets on the last Wednesday of the month at the St. Albans Historical Society building.

Adam Good on Meditation

Our February meeting was a little different than our normal routine. My friend, Adam Good, gave a talk about the benefits and process of meditation, and then led the group in a guided meditation. Honestly, I was a little wary. I have tried and tried over the years to utilize meditation for relaxation, but I just can't do it. I either fall asleep, or get so hyper-focused on some aspect, like breathing, or outside noises, or some other distractions that I feel like I don't achieve any sort of meditative state. So yeah, I was pretty amazed that Adam was able to make meditation more accessible. His guided exercise was extremely simple, yet effective. I found myself easily relaxing and being able to follow along with the instructions without difficulty. I thought that it would actually make it harder for me to participate in a meditation exercise with so many other people, but to my surprise, a group meditation just felt easier. Perhaps it was a collective group energy, but I really enjoyed the process and hopefully will be able to incorporate daily meditations into my everyday life. 

Tony Breeden on Crop Circles

Our March meeting brought us author, Tony Breeden and a discussion on crop circles.  What did we learn about crop circles? Absolutely nothing! Actually, I learned quite a bit. I went into this discussion with a certain level of skepticism, and was fascinated to learn that there are plenty of crop circles that have popped up that as of now, have not been proven to be man-made. Back when I was younger, crop circles were constantly in the news...well, at least, the Weekly World News...and now it seems like no one talks about this strange phenomenon anymore. I still don't know whether some of these crop circles are done by extraterrestrials, ultraterrestrials, or even time travelers, but I feel like they are the result of some type of intelligent design trying to tell us SOMETHING. I'll also definitely be keeping an eye out for reports, although our particular area is sadly NOT a hot spot for this particular phenomena, despite our otherwise high instances of high strangeness.

Joe Perdue on Bigfoot

Finally, April was a huge hit with a presentation on Bigfoot with Wild and Weird's Joe Perdue. Bigfoot is always a super fun topic, and Joe definitely has plenty of experience roaming the woods, investigating the hairy creature in the Mountain State. Although there wasn't a slideshow presentation due to technical difficulties, Joe did a great job just talking about his personal experiences, the cases he's researched, and the work of other researchers in the field. He also had with him his extensive collection of Bigfoot track casts. Being somewhat of a Wild and Weird groupie, I've heard most of these tales before, but it was still a fun talk and I still learned a few new things. I especially appreciate that Joe looks at the whole Bigfoot phenomenon with an open-mind, willing to look at all the data, including that which often gets thrown out by others as being 'woo.' 

Next month, Joe's Wild and Weird partner Ron Lanham, will be the featured guest speaker, giving a talk on remote viewing. This meeting will be held at 6pm on Wednesday, May 24th. The meeting takes place at the St. Albans Historical Society building on Fourth Avenue in St. Albans, WV. Everyone is welcome, and we'd love to have you join us for another fun and educational evening! Please LIKE and FOLLOW the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group Facebook page for more information. 

*January's meeting was a talk on the Rake and Other Ghouls by founding member, Barry Miller. You can read my blog on that meeting HERE!*

First Quarter 2024 Spooky Reading!

Although April is already more than halfway over, I wanted to take a step back and share with everyone all the paranormal non-fiction books I've read during the first quarter of 2024! I'm an avid reader, and a huge bibliophile, concentrating on the collection of paranormal non-fiction from all genres (as well as West Virginia/Appalachia History) for my personal library. Continued education and life-long learning as it pertains to the paranormal field is a passion of mine, and it's important to me that I read up on the subject from a variety of viewpoints. So...here's a look at what I've been reading so far this year. Out of 26 total books I read between January 1 and March 31, eleven were paranormal non-fiction titles. 

1. They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers, by Gray Barker. Anything by West Virginia's most controversial Ufologist/Documenter of Fortean Events is a must-read for me. And although those featured in this book are pretty controversial themselves, and may or may not be full of it...it's an interesting look into civilian ufo researchers and research groups of the 1950's. I think the general idea you're suppose to take away is that the government already knows what UFOs are...and they aren't being piloted by extraterrestrial friends from outer space.

2. Ghosts in Solid Form, by Gambier Bolton. This book takes a look at a series of experiments and investigation into what ghosts are and whether they exist, spanning over a seven year period at the turn of the last century. As dated as this volume is, there are still some interesting concepts and even some investigation protocol that still seem relevant today.

3. Ghosts of Kent, by Peter Underwood. Peter Underwood is such a prolific writer and archivist of so, so many English ghosts and hauntings. This particular volume goes over haunted locations in Kent, some with personal stories attached, and others with just a re-telling of popular tale. You can't go wrong with a Peter Underwood book, and I've nearly crossed all of them off my list. 

4. Edgar Cayce on Past Lives, by D.M. Hoover. Edgar Cayce, known as the Sleeping Prophet was known for two kinds of readings...one where he diagnosed illnesses and other current problems in his clients, and another where he took a look further back into the past lives. This book is a case study of some of those cases, including several of the select-few (18, I believe) of people he regressed whose souls had evolved to the point where they did not need to come back after this current lifetime. 

5. The Most Terrifying Places on Earth, by Conrad Bauer. Bauer releases quite a few free and low cost ebooks about different paranormal topics. While short, these books are usually well-written and interesting. They're a great glimpse into the topic at hand, and I usually get a few ideas for blogs from them...they're just not super memorable when you read as much as I do, since they just go over a high number of cases with just snippets of information.

6. The Most Bizarre Paranormal and Ghost Stories, by Henry Bennett. Again, this was another free ebook, giving little doses of information on a variety of cases. I don't remember a ton, but it certainly wasn't a bad book. 

7. Werewolf Stories, by Nick Redfern. This book is set up like an encyclopedia of all things werewolf, dogman, and shape-shifting in general. I purchased it as a research tool for my work last year with the Louisiana rougarou, but after picking out the relevant information for that case, I decided to go ahead and read it cover to cover. If this is a topic you're interested in, I definitely recommend!

8. Project Blue Book, by Charles River Editors. This publisher releases a lot of 'short histories' in ebook form. This one on Project Blue Book was a great introduction/summary of the former UFO investigation project. 

9. Dark Folk Tales From the Philippine Countryside, by Louis Bulaong. This was another free ebook I picked up on Amazon. It was a delightful collection of Philippine ghosts, hauntings, and legends. Although fairly short, there were quite a few really interesting stories in here. It's a nice little introduction to the folklore of that country.

10. Spooky Science, by John Grant. I highly recommend this book! Written from a skeptical, but fair point of view, Spooky Science goes through the history of paranormal research, beginning with the investigations of mediums and psychics during the Spiritualist movement. Lots of good information and good advice for those studying parapsychology and/or the paranormal field.

11. Scotland UFO Disclosure Volume 8, by Brian Caldwell. I wrapped up the quarter with another free ebook on UFOs. This one only had a few different cases, but was pretty interesting and well-written, nonetheless. I didn't realize that there were enough UFO cases in Scotland to merit a multi-volume set, but I'll gladly download other editions if I come across them for free as well. 

2023 Ravenswood MystiCon

On Saturday, October 7th, the Ravenswood Public Library in Ravenswood, WV hosted its second annual Ravenswood MystiCon! This sleepy lil' river town really knows how to capitalize off its spooky name and come together to put on a really nice FREE smaller-scale paranormal convention.

I didn't attend last year, and honestly debated as to whether or not I was going to this year, as there was actually another event that same day that I was interested in attending. I'm really glad I gave it a shot, though! We arrived about 15-20 minutes after the event started and found ample parking nearby. We gave a quick peruse of the outside vendors, before heading in to say hello to this year's speaker line-up. Being in the field as long as I have, I knew just about everyone scheduled to speak!

After a bit of small talk, JR (yeah, my husband made a rare appearance!) and I went to find seats and settled in to listen to the speakers. Hearing the lectures on various paranormal topics is always my favorite part of any convention. I like to keep up with the research being done in this field, and I'm always down with learning new snippets of information. As we were waiting, we took note of the extensive and creative decorations adorning every available space in the library, giving it a fun, spooky, magical feel.

Tony Breeden

Tony Breeden was the first speaker we had the pleasure of listening to, and he gave a humorous and fact-filled talk all about WV's very own controversial ufologist, Gray Barker. Since I know Tony from the monthly St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group, I was already familiar with his views on Barker, but it was a really fun refresher on such a fascinating topic. Next up was Ashley Hilt, a Fortean researcher and podcast host (On Wednesdays We Talk Weird) who specializes in the topic of Mothman. She gave an interesting talk about the Men in Black phenomenon, and even shared her own crazy encounter with a possible MIB. Her talk was also very informative, and hilarious at times. As a bonus...I got to sit next to Linda Sigman during the presentation! Linda is an original Mothman witness who spoke about her experiences at this year's Mothman Festival. I also picked up a copy of her book while in Pt. Pleasant, so I was happy to get the chance to tell her how much I enjoyed it. 

Ashley Hilt 

We had a brief interlude after Ashley spoke, so we grabbed a snack from the food trucks. I had a yummy chicken fajita from Jimmy Avocado's.  As the temperature had recently plummeted, we hurried back inside to settle in for the next speaker. While waiting, I checked my phone, and my sister had another pleasant surprise for me: an interview on ghost hunting I gave to Amanda Larch that had been published in the Charleston Gazette the previous weekend had been posted online as well! My sister sent me the link and saved me a physical copy of the newspaper! 

Ron Lanham

Ron Lanham, who also appeared in the article, speaking about Wild and Weird West Virginia, was up next. He spoke on a variety of things going on in the paranormal field and within his own research. I'd heard quite a bit before from other presentations (seriously, at this point, I feel like a Wild and Weird Groupie, with all the events I follow them to, lol) but there was some never-before-seen footage from their investigation of the RAVENSWOOD LIBRARY! Seems like this little community hub is home to spooky things more than just once a year! As always, Ron's talk was excellent, and he had plenty of embedded QR codes for further information, which is a really cool touch.

The last speaker we saw was WV author, researcher, and TV personality Dave Spinks. Dave talked a little about UFOs, cryptids, AND ghosts/hauntings, mainly in West Virginia, but also those pertaining to his research worldwide. Even though I had heard Dave speak before, there were a lot of stories and details that I hadn't heard previously, so that was awesome. Plus, he even took a minute to shout out my blog, so that was super appreciated as well!

Dave Spinks 

After Dave spoke, we did one final lap around the inside-vendors, picking up a hot chocolate bomb for Luke, and a weird little musical instrument for JR. I snagged some books from both Tony and Dave, and JR picked out a UFO art print of Ron's...which, get this: using the app Artivive, MOVES. It's the coolest/freakiest thing I've seen in a long time, lol. 

Anyway, we had a lot of fun, despite the fact that we didn't really take advantage of all the cool things on offer. There was also a costume contest going on, an Escape Room, photo booth, psychic readings, door prizes (we were there between 12:15 and 4:45 and never heard these called?), LOTS of merch, and live music later in the day. But, I got to see what I really wanted to see...and that was my paranormal family. My earlier years in this field were filled with groups not getting along and not working together, and even though that's still true for many areas, I feel like I've finally found a supportive community that works together to further this field along. Of course, I love spending every minute I can with like-minded people doing like-minded things, making this weekend another incredible one!

Phone Calls From the Dead with Angie Breeden

It took her two years, but Angie Breeden, the founding force behind the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group, finally took to the podium herself and gave an OUTSTANDING talk about a topic that has personally fascinated me for years. As the group's regular year wound down, the focus on September's meeting was Phone Calls From the Dead!

Ever since telephones have existed, there have been calls received by very confused individuals who have wondered just who or what was trying to reach them. Short, static-filled communications with the voice of someone you know is deceased, talking in a far-away, monotone voice. Long conversations with family and friends, only to find out later that the person who called couldn't have---because they were already dead at the time. Even phone calls from LIVING persons, giving very specific information despite the fact that it was proven they never picked up the phone and dialed. All of these types of cases and more are explored in the 1970's book, Phone Calls From the Dead, by D. Scott Rogo and Raymond Bayliss. 

The work of Rogo and Bayliss made of the basis of the presentation and examples of their cases found in the book were shared and explored. Angie talked about the different types of paranormal phone calls, and even some theories about just how or why these things could be happening. But, as phones evolved from the standard land lines that most homes had when the book was written, into cordless, and then cell, and then smart phones, the types of communication evolved, too. And, of course, we had to discuss some recent cases as well. We learned about the case of Charles Peck, a man who was killed in a horrific train accident in 2008. His cell phone continued to call his family for a staggering 11 hours until his body was found.  A REALLY spooky case, complete with audio, that we discussed was the 2018 case where 911 call came in from a funeral home in Colorado. The operator called the number back, and someone actually answered, but the only thing that came across was an eerie man's voice, seemingly asking for help. 

Just as the phone technology and types of communication have evolved over the years, so have the research and man's quest to actively create a way to call back! From Thomas Edison's Spirit Phone to Gary Schwartz's modern work with the Soulphone, it seems as if we aren't really too much closer in understanding how a being without a physical voice box can manifest a voice through our available electronics. 

These two books were recommended. 
Luckily, I have them in my personal library!

As Angie wrapped up the presentation, she asked the group if anyone had any personal phone calls from the dead. It took a few moments for someone to speak up, but after that first story, the related stories continued to flow. Although it doesn't seem like anyone had a classic, textbook example of one of these phone calls from the dead, plenty of people had experienced other unexplained phone anomalies, and other instances of spirit communication, through dreams and a variety of ITC methods. I even got to share my own experience of a dream of a phantom phone call (Gary's Phone Call). 

It was a great presentation on a really cool topic, and has probably been one of my top 3 favorite talks so far! I'm sad to see the year winding down. September was the final 'lecture' meeting of 2023. Our annual Halloween Party will be held on October 25th, and we'll be taking November and December off for the holidays. I can't wait to see what great new speakers and subjects are in store for the new year, and look forward to meeting even MORE fellow paranormal enthusiasts and having some great conversations!

Please come follow the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group on Facebook for more information on the upcoming schedule. The group meets at the St. Albans Historical Society building on the last Wednesday of each month. We'd love for you to join us for the Halloween party. Come in costume, bring a dish to share, and have an evening of spooky fun...and then come back in January! 

Wild and Weird Bigfoot Workshop 2023

In 2021, I participated in Wild and Weird WV's first ever Bigfoot Workshop at the Kanawha State Forest. It was a day filled with awesome information and learning new skills, delicious food, and fun hanging with friends. I had a great time, so when the 2023 workshop was announced, I signed up almost immediately! And, just like the last one, this was an awesome, educational experience...but with some added WEIRDNESS!

The day started off normally enough. Well, now that I think about it, it really didn't. Since I was late for the last event, I left super early. I stopped in at the KSF gift shop for some insect spray and a cold soda, and made my way to where I THOUGHT the shelter was. The signage for shelters in KSF is...lacking...so I started driving around, frantically, trying to find someone I recognized. Finally, I went back to the place I started and realized that I HAD been in the right place, but that the shelter was actually hidden down a path to the side, so that's why I didn't see it. I wasn't the only one who had trouble finding it, so I was still there in plenty of time. In fact, Joe (one of the main guys in charge!) had mysteriously disappeared and not yet returned. But, one of the park rangers was there to let us know that there was no power currently at our section. 

Joe Perdue

Eventually, everyone found there way to the right place, and thanks to a small, portable generator, we were able to successfully get through a small video presentation of some awesome evidence that the Wild and Weird High Strangeness Collective had collected over the years. Joe and Ron both spoke on a variety of topics related to the Bigfoot field, teaching about proper evidence collection, best equipment to use and how to use it, and even delving into the stranger aspects of Bigfoot data. A special treat was Glenn Adkins from the Ohio Squatch Project giving a short presentation, sharing his expertise, and bringing plenty of his world-famous Squatch Sticks to sell!

A thunderstorm popped up, which caused a few presentations to have to stay under the shelter, including making our own plaster casts, but in the long run, it may have actually been a good thing. After a good rain, it cleared up and the group went out on a short hike to just learn some things to look for. My back was hurting super bad, but I was determined to make it out there. I made it about halfway before I started having a panic attack, afraid I'd get out there, but not make it back. So, I turned around and walked back to the shelter that was closer to the trail. I sat awhile to wait for the group to come back. I hadn't been sitting there too long, when I looked up and Joe was booking it towards the shelter at a full run. I thought for sure someone was injured, but he just yelled, "found tracks," and kept going, headed to our shelter for the casting supplies. 

I decided I didn't come this far NOT to see actual Bigfoot prints in KSF, so I forced myself to make it down the path to where everyone was. Sure enough, they had found several prints in the creek area. Since there really wasn't much I could do, except stand, I went BACK to the other shelter to sit for awhile. At one point, I heard what I swear were footprints right beside me, and thought the group was coming back. I started to turn my head, and thought I saw something white run across the path. But, no person was there and it was quite awhile until the rest of the team came out in two groups. 

(Oddly, it was right about the time heard and saw something, that my grandma passed away in hospice. I didn't find out until I left the park and returned to a location where I could get cell service and noticed I had a ton of missed texts telling me.)

Ron Lanham

After the second group had settled back in at the base shelter, we realized that they had quite a unique experience. While coming back down the trail, a large rock had been 'thrown' at them. By that time, it was getting on in the day, and time to start getting ready for dinner, which consisted of hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, Joe's famous slaw and chili and a special treat of Dutch babies for dessert. But, while waiting for dinner to cook, we all had a good scare---a large tree nearby bit the dust. As it fell, it sounded exactly like gunshots going off---gunshots too close to have been coming from the firing range. That was pretty unnerving, but kind of exciting at the same time. Was it just simply a tree, damaged by the earlier storm, falling down, or was it just part of the larger, weirder picture?

Unfortunately, I realized that I had JR's wallet, and he'd need dinner soon, so I didn't stay for the night hike (I probably couldn't physically handle it anyway, lol). I headed back to the apartment and didn't hear much about how the rest of the evening went until that Thursday, when the Wild and Weird WV Radio live stream was devoted to the subject. That's when we all found out that even more strangeness was going on that night.

During the night hike, one of the participants who stayed by herself at the shelter heard what sounded like a larger animal prowling around, so she went and sat in her vehicle. There were some strange anomalies caught, some strange sounds heard, and as we found out, a number of people (including myself) had technical difficulties with their phones/cameras saying that their storage was full. And as a final goodbye to the park that night, one member noticed a strange, albino deer by the side of the road.

So yeah. It was a weird one, and what I've discussed is just brushing the surface. You're definitely gonna want to watch the Wild and Weird live-stream, as well as the Wild and Weird video, What Was in the Woods During the Bigfoot Workshop for a better understanding of what all went on that day.

Glenn Adkins

Overall, it was a hell of an experience! Even without all the crazy stuff we experienced, it was a great event. Participants were given flashlights, notebooks, pens, and an awesome art print by the late, great Wayne Barnes. We were treated to top-notch information from some of the best researchers/investigators in the field and given the opportunity for hands-on learning. We had a delicious dinner. And, best of all, we got to all hang out and talk about our experiences. It's always a really special time when you get to meet and learn from people with similar interests. Everyone was so kind and so accepting of the different theories and the different stories people had to share. It felt more like a family reunion  than a workshop of strangers, and that's one of the things I love about the Wild and Weird events. I laughed a lot and I learned a lot, and am now eagerly awaiting the next one!

If you'd like to get in on the strangeness, please follow Wild and Weird WV!

Bigfoot Researcher Mike Familant at the So. Chas. Public Library!

Bigfoot Mobile Command Center

The South Charleston Public Library has one heck of a summer reading program for adults! All summer long, patrons can enjoy various cryptid craft activities, trivia, movie night, and...on June 21st, a lecture on Bigfoot by researcher, Mike Familant.

Mike, a New Jersey native, has been researching and investigating the Bigfoot phenomenon all over the eastern United States for quite a number of years, following his own experiences during a public Bigfoot Hunt in Florida. Now, as the owner of the YouTube channel, Sussex County Bigfoot, he shares his knowledge both through his 'In the Shadow of Big Red Eye' docu-series and website, as well as his lectures at various public libraries. 

Mike Familant

The activity room was packed with curious Bigfoot enthusiasts who listened attentively to the hour-long talk. It was a well-informed, humorous, and interactive look at the Bigfoot phenomenon and the scientific data backing up the suggestion that a large, relic hominid actually does exist. Mike displayed some of his own track castings, as well as shared some audio recordings and photos of suspected footprints. His stories about his own investigations and experiences was really interesting, but he also covered a lot of more objective info, such as investigation equipment, what to look for when trying to distinguish a footprint, and various other facts about the suspected diet and characteristics of our beloved cryptid. 

Mike holds the opinion that Bigfoot is a living, breathing creature, not unlike any other form of wildlife found out in the woods. Personally, I enjoy delving into the possibility of a supernatural element to the Bigfoot and relish in the woo...but I totally respect looking at this phenomenon from a strictly scientific standpoint and presenting more...measurable...types of data to support those claims. But, overall, it was a fantastic talk and I learned a few new things (for example, did you know the average Bigfoot sighting only lasts 5 seconds?). I also just had fun being with 'my people.' Not only was my good buddy, Ike, in attendance, but so was Amber and her daughter, from Amber's ParaWorld. There were also a ton of other like-minded folks who were genuinely interested in this subject and eager to learn more. One lady bravely stood up and told of her encounter, but I was surprised that more people didn't share publicly. 

Bigfoot Footprint Castings

I'm sure they made up for it afterwards, as Mike was swarmed following the lecture with people eager to take a closer look at the casts he had brought, pick up a keychain, or just talk to him and hopefully share their experiences! I managed to snap a quick picture with him (thanks, Amber!) but time was short, and the library was ready to close. But, I walked away completely happy knowing that there are so many people right here in this area who are open-minded and eager to accept the possibility of Bigfoot...and maybe a few other unexplained things.

As an added bonus, while outside talking with Ike and some new paranormal buddies we met, I got to witness a little raccoon emerge from the sewer and boldly approach the trash can we were standing beside! It was cute, but we gave it a wide berth just in case! A large part of Mike's message was to just get out and enjoy nature as much as possible, but I wasn't expecting to get that close to nature out in front of the library's main entrance, lol. 

Me and Mike Familant

Anyway, make sure you follow Mike at the links provided above, and if you missed his lecture at the library, don't worry! He'll be speaking this Saturday at the West Virginia Bigfoot Festival in Sutton! There's an awesome lineup of speakers and events, as well as plenty of vendors and activities on Saturday, and a special banquet on Friday night (sorry, but as of this writing, ticket sales on Friday's banquet have closed, but check with the event organizers for more info!)  And, for you Kanawha Valley folks who are itching for MORE Bigfoot learnin', Wild and Weird WV is once again hosting a Bigfoot Workshop at Kanawha State Forest! Tickets are $40, which includes a ton of hands-on activities, food, and a small Bigfoot hunt in an area with plenty of known sightings. This year's event will be July 15th, and ticket sales are limited, so hop on over to the Wild and Weird website to sign up. 

Happy (Bigfoot) Hunting, Y'all and Stay Spooky!

Our lil' raccoon friend!

Paranormal Picture Study

Flash Used

No Flash Used
Low-light/Night Setting Used

Hey, spooky friends! I thought for today's blog post I'd do something a little different. As part of my commitment to do a few more educational-type posts concerning paranormal investigating and paranormal theory, I wanted to share a set of photographs that I personally took on a recent investigation. 

The subject of the photo is Spectral Research and Investigation's own investigator and co-videographer, Beth. Beth is hooked up to a set of headphones, connected to an SB-10 spirit box and is actively engaged in a modified Estes Method of communication. She cannot see or hear the rest of the team, who was asking various questions of the resident spirit of this particular location. She is simply listening to the frequencies being scanned and responding to what she hears. 

While this was going on, we did have some interesting responses that seemed to answer direct questions, and some information did come through that seemed to mesh with what we knew of the history of the location. As part of the documentation process (we were also videoing the session) I took two photographs of Beth, back to back.

I didn't use anything fancy; just my Google Pixel 6a phone. The two photos were taken approximately 30 seconds or so apart, but as you can see, they look quite different. I just recently got this phone, so I was playing with the different picture settings to see how they looked. The top photo was taken with the flash on.

The bottom photo was taken without the flash, but used my phone's night setting, which I'm really impressed with! But, you'll notice that in this photo, there seems to be a strange light anomaly behind Beth's chair, and a hazy figure, almost standing behind her. If you zoom in, you can even make out a face.

Pictures like this are unfortunately misidentified as paranormal all the time. I would have loved to have caught something anomalous, but the truth is, that spooky haze and light anomaly has a perfectly logical explanation. When the night or low-light setting on a camera (or camera phone) is used, you're going to have a long exposure, or long shutter speed. While the photo was being taken, one of our investigators (Beth's husband, Michael!) walked into the shot and back out. The light anomaly is his flashlight, which you can see is illuminating the ground. 

It only took half a second for him to walk through the shot, leaving a ghostly impression. I've seen this kind of shot fool plenty of people, especially when taking photos with a camera/phone that they may not be super familiar with. It's easy to get confused on what settings are being used, and it's even easier to get confused about one's surroundings. Time and time again, we hear the photographer of these types of photos swear that no one else was around. Most of these people are being sincere; they truly don't remember anyone else being near the shot, but witnesses are not infallible. When we're focusing on photographing a subject, we're usually not paying much attention to what is going on around us. And as fast as this can happen, we might not even realize it. 

Anyway, I thought it'd be fun to compare these two pictures and let you all see just how easy it is to capture something that APPEARS anomalous, but is actually a pretty common misidentification. If you get the chance, take out your own camera/phone and just play around a little with different settings, and what happens when the camera is bumped/moved or when someone walks through the frame during long exposure times. It's a neat little experiment that will help you more quickly and easily identify those ghost photos that might just be a little too good to be true! 

Intro to Ghost Hunting with the WV Paranormal Exploration Team

Please forgive me---I'm still playing catch up! Back on November 11, 2022 I attended an introductory ghost hunting class in South Charleston, hosted by Tracey Perry and other members of the WV Paranormal Exploration Team. Even though it's been over two months ago, I still wanted to let you guys know how it went, and share some information so that if interested, you can be ready for any potential upcoming events!

So, if you know me, you know that I'm all for continued education for paranormal investigators. Throughout the year, I try to take advantage of any classes, lectures, conventions, workshops, etc. that I see pop up, in person or online. I'm a firm believer that no matter how long you've been in this field, there's always something new to learn and experience. Therefore, when I saw this event pop up on my Facebook feed, I decided that I needed to go check it out and support another local team!

It was a super rainy evening, but I easily found the location, which happened to be the Women's Club in South Charleston. It made for a beautiful, comfortable, spacious spot to set up the projection screen, a table displaying some of the team's equipment, ample tables and chairs for guests, and a bountiful spread of snacks and refreshments. A charge of $10 covered the presentation, unlimited refreshments, and a chance for a door prize, to be revealed later in the evening. 

Tracey led the presentation, which was an excellent introduction to basic ghost hunting and ghost theory. Vincent, and his wife, two additional members of the team, were on hand to also discuss previous cases, go over equipment, and answer questions. 

The door prize I won! Yay!

A couple of highlights of the evening for me were definitely when I won the door prize! I took home a new IR video camera, which I actually desperately needed for my investigative work with SRI. Also, it was just really awesome to get to know and network with another team. They invited me to stay over a few minutes after the official presentation and speak with another attendee who was having some paranormal issues at her own home. I think that working together, we were able to provide her with some good information and some answers that could offer her some peace of mind to take back home with her. 

Overall, it was a great evening, and I'm really glad that I braved the weather to attend. I love meeting other investigators and seeing how they approach the paranormal investigation process. There's always something new I can learn from the expertise of others and it's just fun to hang out with other people who love the paranormal as much as I do! I've linked the WV Paranormal Exploration Facebook page below, so if you're interested, please come check it out and follow along for updates on any upcoming events. Stay spooky, ya'll! 

WV Paranormal Exploration Team Facebook Group

Spooky Reading 2022 Wrap Up

In 2022, I decided to share my paranormal non-fiction reading with you all via quarterly updates. It's time to wrap up a year in reading with my 4th quarter spooky reading list of 2022! According to my GoodReads account, I managed an impressive fourteen (14) paranormal nonfiction books read between October 1st and December 31st. That brings my total for the year up to 39! Let's take a look at this last set of books I checked off my list.

1. Area 51: Discerning Facts from Fiction, by Conrad Bauer. I downloaded this Kindle ebook for free, and it was a nice, short concise history of the lore surrounding the secretive area known in UFO and conspiracy circles as Area 51. 

2. Unexplained Blackpool Hauntings, by Christine Miller. This was another free ebook I downloaded and it was a fun collection of haunted locations from the Blackpool area. Again, short and concise, but reasonably well-written and entertaining.

3. No Common Task: The Autobiography of a Ghost Hunter, by Peter Underwood. I'm a huge fan of Peter Underwood's work, so I was happy to read this account of his early life and some of his early forays into the paranormal field. I'm not gonna lie--it was a little dry at times, but if you're interested in how Underwood got his start and the man behind countless collections of true ghost stories, it's worth a read. 

4. Buckeye Legends: Folktales and Lore From Ohio, by Michael Jay Katz. Being so close to the Ohio border, I was really interested in taking a look at some folklore from a nearby area. There were a few really fascinating stories in here, and a few that were a little blah. 

5. The World's Weirdest Abductions, by Chip Norton: I went through a period last year where I did a deep dive into alien abduction theory, so I was familiar with most of the cases contained in this short little free ebook, but it was a quick and weird read and sometimes that's exactly what I'm looking for. 

6. The World of Lore: Dreadful Places, by Aaron Mahnke. I've been a fan of the Lore podcast since the beginning, and was pleased when Aaron began publishing the best of the best of the tales in book form. I'm pretty sure the text of the books is word for word from the podcast scripts, minus the sponsorship info, but I'm cool with that. There were a few stories that really caught my attention, such as one from the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

7. Haunted Potomac River Valley, by David Thompson. You can't go wrong with these collections of haunted locations published by Haunted America, and I had to pick up this volume, as it featured a few places in West Virginia. These books are always a good mix of history and reported ghostly activity, and this one was no exception.

8. Spirits, Ghosts, and Troublesome Entities by Leanne Halyburton. This book, which was another free ebook, wasn't bad, but it just seemed a little disjointed, and relied heavily on the author quoting the experiences of her social media fan base who wrote in with their stories in response to her requests.

9. The Hollow Earth, by Raymond Bernard. I found this vintage paperback at Goodwill and knew I had to have it in my collection. Basically, it's the same information stated over and over and over trying to make the case for a Hollow Earth, with openings at the North and South Poles. Oh, and there's some info about how UFO's probably aren't from space, but come out of these openings at the poles instead. 

10. Real West Virginia UFOs, by Dave Spinks. One of my Mothman Festival pickups for 2022! I can't resist a collection of WV ufo sightings, and this one was a good one. Please see my review HERE. 

11. Where the Ghosts Walk: The Gazetteer of Haunted Britain, by Peter Underwood. This was just another hefty collection of British ghost stories from the king of British ghost stories. 

12. Truth Seeker, by Tom Moore. Tom Moore runs a paranormal investigation team here in WV and for several years, wrote a newspaper column in Parkersburg about his paranormal experiences. This book is a collection of those articles. Please see my review for it HERE. 

13. Chasing American Monsters, by Jason Offutt. I needed more cryptozoology books to round out the last quarter of the year, and this was a fine choice. Chasing American Monsters is broken down state by state and showcases a few of each area's iconic critters. 

14. Thirty True Tales of the Weird, Unusual, and Macabre, by Pat Bussard. Pat is a journalist who started her own group of paranormal researchers. She writes extensively on a variety of paranormal topics, and this is an eclectic collection of those writings. Everything from ghost hunting to Mothman to tarot cards is covered, complete with an introduction by the late, great Rosemary E. Guiley. 

Thanks for following along with my love of spooky reading, and I'll see ya back in early April for my 1st quarter of 2023 update. Until then, you can check out my Book Reviews page, or follow me over on GoodReads to see what all I'm reading in addition to my paranormal nonfiction. Stay spooky, ya'll! 

1st Quarter 2022 Spooky Reading

2nd Quarter 2022 Spooky Reading

3rd Quarter 2022 Spooky Reading

3rd Quarter Spooky Reading 2022

Another three months have passed, which means its time for another quarterly update on my yearly spooky reading! Ya'll know I love to read anything and everything I can in the paranormal non-fiction genre. As a paranormal investigator and researcher, I'm always trying to learn as much as I can about this field, and exploring books from a variety of viewpoints in a variety of different topics is a great way to accomplish that. As a blogger, it's also a great way to get new ideas for content to share with you all. And, as a paranormal enthusiast, I just love reading a good, spooky ghost story! 

Unfortunately, this quarter wasn't a great one for me. I only got around to eight paranormal nonfiction titles (and my general reading list wasn't much better). I managed to get a couple of gems, though, so let's take a quick look!

1. Living Among Bigfoot, by Tom Lyons:  This is the first in a whole series of books about one gentleman's encounters with Sasquatch. I found this as a free download, and while it was a quick, enjoyable read, I probably won't pick up any more in the series unless they become available for free as well. I'd just rather get the whole story in one volume, as opposed to a bunch of REALLY short (more like essays) books.

2. Strange Creatures From Time and Space, by John Keel:  John Keel is one of those authors you just HAVE to read if you research anything Fortean or strange. Keel has a very distinct style of humor to his writing, and each of his books, while usually overlapping heavily with his others in the content department, are full of really interesting cases of high strangeness and Keel's theories as to why these events are happening.

3. Queen Victoria's Other World, by Peter Underwood:  I love Peter Underwood's collections of ghost stories from various places around the British Isles. This book is a little different...instead of focusing on ghostly tales of haunted locations, it takes a look at the life of Queen Victoria and her interest in Spiritualism and the occult. There are also quite a few haunted places and ghost stories thrown in, with the note that no doubt Queen Victoria would have been familiar with this tale since she lived at this location, or visited it, or so forth. That part felt a little...forced for content...but it was still an interesting read.

4. Freak Files: The Unexplained Tales, by Gia Scott:  A free ebook download I found on Amazon. Not terrible, but nothing to write home about. Just a quick read about some spooky stories.

5. Real Celebrity Ghost Stories, by Sherri Granato. See above, but focusing on celebrities, lol. 

6. Life After Death, by Hans Holzer:  I love me some Hans Holzer. He was the author who inspired me as a kid to be a 'ghost hunter' in the first place, so I'm always thrilled when I come across one of his books. I found Life After Death at Goodwill and flew through the battered old paperback, loving the stories of people who claim that they have proof that life doesn't end with bodily death.

7. Mermaids: The Myths, Legends and Lore, by Skye Alexander: Ironically, I came across this book at a thrift store right as the whole Little Mermaid controversy was reaching a head. This is a beautiful little book filled with the origins of the mermaid myth, the mermaid in popular culture, and, well...anything and everything else you could want to know about mermaids. It gets super repetitive at times, but it was a fun read. 

8. The Grafton Monster, by George Dudding:  George Dudding is a prolific writer of all things paranormal, especially strange things going on in the Mountain State! I try to collect as many as his works as possible, so when I saw him at the 2022 Mothman Festival, I decided to pick up The Grafton Monster. My husband is from Grafton, so it's a topic that I love discussing with him, as he knows so much about the general area and his mom was living in the area at the time of the sighting. This was a fun book on a subject that there just isn't a whole lot of information available on. 

So there ya have it! That's what I've been reading lately, but I'd love to hear what paranormal nonfiction books you've been reading and loving lately. Join me over on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook or let me know in the comments below! 

Theresa's Book Reviews

Paranormal with a Purpose

On Wednesday, March 30th, Brian and I were honored to take part in a very special paranormal event. We were asked to speak at the first meeting of the Paranormal Discussion Group, created and presented by the St. Albans On Purpose Project! 

According to their website, "The On Purpose project works with people who have developmental disabilities to do community improvement projects in West Virginia. We believe that all people have unique purpose and we want to be intentional about inclusion and building community." This fun, monthly paranormal chat group is just one of the many, many fun, inclusive activities the group is involved in, and I'm thrilled I got to be a part of it. 

The idea for a paranormal discussion group came from Barry, a young man with a passion for the paranormal and tons of knowledge about the ghost hunting world. Facilitated by Angie Breeden, I was contacted to come and give a little talk to the group, followed up by plenty of Q and A. The St. Albans Historical Society made for an awesome meeting location, and the event was open to the public.

Barry, Theresa, and Brian
Photo by Angie Breeden

As this was the first meeting of this kind, with no real set format or agenda, we basically kinda winged it.  I gave a VERY abbreviated version of my WV Cemetery Legends presentation. Then Brian and I talked about some ghost hunting basics and paranormal theory. We discussed the history and the purpose of Spectral Research and Investigation, and told stories of some of our favorite cases.  He even brought a few of our hands-on pieces of equipment so people could try them out. 

I absolutely loved how engaged everyone was. There were tons of really thoughtful and insightful questions that Brian and I were more than happy to answer. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we truly enjoy talking about our experiences and sharing our knowledge, especially to those who also have such an enormous interest in all things spooky. We had such a great time that we didn't leave the building until almost an hour after our estimated time!

The Paranormal Discussion Group is slated to be a monthly event, with the next one being held on April 27th, 2022. These meetings will be held the last Wednesday of each month, and will be open to the public. Please follow the St. Albans On Purpose Project Facebook page for updates on these meetings, including an announcement on who the next guest speaker will be!  I'll also be sharing and updating that information on my own page, Theresa's Haunted History! 

Setting up for our paranormal talk with
St. Albans On Purpose Project
Photo by Brian Clary

I want to thank everyone who was involved in inviting us out and who came to listen to us talk. It was a wonderful experience and I know I'll definitely be in the audience for as many of these additional meetings as I can attend. Everyone there was so awesome, and made us feel so welcomed and appreciated. I really can't express how grateful I am to have been given this opportunity to share Theresa's Haunted History and SRI with the community, and to connect with a fantastic group of locals interested in the paranormal!

*Are you interested in having Theresa and Brian speak to your school, civic, or similar group? We LOVE to talk spooky, and we'd be happy to present to your group on a variety of paranormal/ghost hunting topics! We also love appearing on podcasts! If you're located in or around Southern West Virginia and would like to speak with us, give me a shout at theresarhps@yahoo.com*

First Quarter Spooky Reading 2022

Here at Theresa's Haunted History, I've always advocated a spirit of life-long learning when it comes to the paranormal field. No matter how experienced you may be, no matter how many years you've been chasing down the ghosts, there's ALWAYS plenty left to be learned. One of my favorite ways to indulge this continuing education into the world of the unknown is to read everything I can possible get my hands on! 

Reading a variety of books from different authors on different paranormal topics is how I got my first real taste of this field as a kid...and it's how I continue to get my fix well into adulthood.  However, not everything I read gets reviewed here on my blog's Book Reviews page.  I still wanted a way to share with you what I've been diving into when it comes to my paranormal nonfiction, so I thought the best way to do this would just be a quarterly re-cap, with links and a brief summary of the books I got around to finishing. As with so many of my projects, there just aren't enough hours in the day to really get to EVERYTHING I want to, and unfortunately, I only read a mere 8 books on the paranormal from January 1st to March 31st! 

1. Haunted Shenandoah Valley by Denver Michaels: Like the title would suggest, this book covers hauntings from all over the Shenandoah Valley, including a small section from West Virginia. Denver Michaels is a prolific author of the paranormal, so each story was well-written, interesting, and had plenty of historical background thrown in. This is a great book for anyone interested in the hauntings of that location, or even those interested in Civil War-based ghost tales, as there are quite a few from the Shenandoah Valley!

2. Strange Twist of Fate edited by Curtis Fuller: I found this battered paperback in an antique store for $2 and had to add it to my collection. As it is a collection of articles originally appearing in Fate Magazine, the topics range from ghosts to UFOs, to psychic ability and all sorts of other Fortean phenomena. And as such, some of the stories are really fascinating and well-written and some are rather...head-scratching. 

3. The Wild Man of North America by Louis Petolicchio: Back in December, I picked up my signed copy of this book (and met the author!) while stopping by the Yeti Expo at the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum in Sutton. Unfortunately, the author passed away before I could return to the museum and let him know how much I enjoyed his book. This is a collection of vintage newspaper clippings from all over the country featuring stories of Wild Men, many of which we'd probably classify as a 'Bigfoot' today. 

4. The Ghost Hunter's Guide by Peter Underwood: Peter Underwood is another one of those super-prolific writers on the paranormal, and even though the publication date for this one is a little...dated...the information really isn't. The basics of paranormal investigation and ghost hunting haven't changed much since the days of Harry Price...and I can't decide personally if that's a good thing or not! 

5. Men in Black by Conrad Bauer: I picked up the e-book version when it was being offered for free, and I'm really glad I did. Although it was a quick read, it was fairly thorough and well-researched, mentioning plenty of famous Men in Black cases, including some high strangeness associated with the Pt. Pleasant Mothman flap. 

6. Paranormal Crimes by Conrad Bauer: Another free-to-me find by the same author as Men in Black, this one was actually pretty interesting as well. Relating paranormal phenomena to crime was a really unique concept, and it was fun to read. However, some of the 'crimes' were quite the stretch. 

7. Ghosts of Hampshire and Isle of Wight by Peter Underwood: This was my second book by the legendary Peter Underwood that I finished this quarter. It is a huge compendium of haunted locations from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. As I'm not familiar with these locations, there were times when the extensive history got a little dry for me, but it's a great collection of ghost stories that can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter where they're from. 

8. Phantoms of Dixie by Hans Holzer: This was another battered, old paperback I picked up at a local antique store, and just one of the hundreds of books published by ghost hunter, Hans Holzer! This was actually a kind of weird read for me...I'm not entirely sure I agree with Holzer's definition of 'Dixie,' as some of the deep south states only got a few pages dedicated to them, while Texas was over half the book...with a little Oklahoma?? thrown in. Still, you can't go wrong with Hans Holzer and there were some great cases discussed. 

So that's my first quarter reading list! I've got a TBR pile a mile high of paranormal non-fiction I want to get to this summer, yet I continue to buy more and more books...from conventions, from thrift stores, and from free offers on my Kindle. There will never be enough time to read everything I want to read...but check back in 3 months to see what additional titles I was able to finish.  Happy Reading...and as always, stay spooky! 

Bigfoot Workshop with Wild and Weird

So, if you've been following this blog over the last week, you may be wondering why all the Bigfoot articles. I've unofficially dubbed the month of May to be Bigfoot Month! All throughout the month, I've been reading books on Sasquatch, watching documentaries, and listening to podcasts. Most importantly, on May 8th, I took part in the West Virginia High Strangeness Collective's Hands-On Bigfoot Workshop and Cook-Out, hosted by  Wild and Weird West Virginia!!

A group of Bigfoot and paranormal enthusiasts met on a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon at Kanawha State Forest for an afternoon full of excellent information, hands-on demonstrations, great food, giveaways, and of course, some really fun conversations, all culminating in an actual after-dusk Bigfoot investigation. 

After introductions, Wild and Weird member Wayne Barnes, gave a talk about the history of Bigfoot. I filled several pages of notes on interesting facts and tidbits. It seems like cultures all over the world have been telling stories of hairy man-like creatures since their earliest records were kept. After Wayne's presentation, Ron Lanham gave some really helpful tips on what sort of information to collect and what types of questions to ask witnesses when compiling a report on potential monster activity. I learned that Bigfoot encounters were classed under an ABC classification system, based on how clear the sighting/evidence is, much like EVPs are. 

Later on, Joe Perdue went over his recommendations of tools and equipment that every Bigfoot researcher should have in their pack. It was interesting seeing this broad range of items needed for safety and evidence collection. I was also pleasantly surprised that most of the recommended items were quite affordable and easy to acquire---you don't really need to spend a TON of money on equipment, especially starting out. Joe also took the group out on the trail, and showed us some things to look for that might indicate potential Bigfoot movement in the area. It was a great introduction on how to differentiate between man-made, natural, and 'unknown' disturbances, such as broken tree branches. We also got to observe some bear tracks!  Each person got to pour their own 'bigfoot footprint' cast and take it home, which was a really cool bonus. The best way to learn something is to just try it out yourself, so it was nice to get the opportunity to practice casting a print without having to worry about messing up a REAL print out in the wild. 

Dave Roberts and Ron Lanham wrapped up the educational lectures with an absolutely groundbreaking talk on the use of sound in Bigfoot research. With input from Joe, they discussed how they were using multiple recorders to record and triangulate sounds over a wide expanse.  Apparently, there's only about one other researcher doing something similar, despite the overwhelming potential that this system affords! I'm definitely interested in seeing more about this technique and its results.

Unfortunately, I had to leave before the Bigfoot hunt, but I totally feel like I got my $20 worth! Dinner included grilled hot dogs and BBQ, with Joe's own awesome recipes. Some really cool prizes, such as a 'Squatch Stick' and a giant collapsible bucket for plaster mixing, were given out, and EVERYONE received a signed Bigfoot art print and buttons featuring iconic Bigfoot researchers/images. 

Overall, it was an awesome experience. I love being around and talking with other paranormal enthusiasts, and I love having the opportunity to learn from such dedicated and experienced researchers, right in the field. Kanawha State Forest actually has reported Bigfoot activity, so it was neat to be right there in the area while examining footprint casts and hearing data that was collected there. The guys at Wild and Weird did a wonderful job. It was a well-organized event, full of top-notch information. I think that anyone, from beginning to experienced Squatcher, could have come away from this event with some new perspective and some valuable information. All viewpoints on the Bigfoot phenomenon were discussed tactfully and with an open mind, and I felt totally comfortable asking questions or expressing an opinion. 

If you missed this hands-on workshop, you're not completely out of luck. From my understanding, Wild and Weird West Virginia will be hosting similar events in the future! Feel free to follow them at any of the links below for more information.  As always, stay spooky, ya'll. 

Wild and Weird West Virginia Podcast and Website

Wild and Weird UFO/Paranormal Talk Facebook Group

Wild and Weird West Virginia Facebook LIKE Page

Wild and Weird YouTube Channel