Ghost Hunting Chronicles

Yes, I have been away from here! I never really took up this blog as much as I wanted, which is a real shame. But it has all been for a good cause.

I decided to write a book - all about my experiences hunting ghosts and running a ghost hunting business, so far all the ideas are down - it's just a case of writing the bloody thing now.

Anyway, in other news I have packed in the ghost hunting company I started 3 years ago. That was 3 years too long of dealing with fruit-loops. Plus I couldn't really spare the weekends anymore, which is a shame as I will actually really miss it. Even though I have spoke badly of it all I loved the excitement and anticipation of wandering round a castle/manor house etc that was hundreds of years old, I loved the history behind those locations, the bloodshed that had occurred many years ago.

I may not run my own company, but I will still continue to research the subject heavily - psychics are still out there for me to mock, and maybe investigate.

I will still try to post here on a regular basis - I will update it with 1st draft chapters from the book, as it gets written, so that my one 'friend' on here can give me notes and/or corrections on my grammar in his broken English all the way from India.

Toodle-pip.

So now that you have a very brief introduction to how I started the ghost hunting business I would just like to point out that whilst I label those who attend our hunts as mentalists, it is really more of a term of endearment.

ha!

Ok, so I mentioned that the thing that drew me to the paranormal was not so much wanting to see a ghost, but the irrationality of the whole paranormal subject, but more so the mediums/psychics/clairvoyants et al.

They hold a real strong interest for me in a psychological sense.

Are they good actors? I think a vast majority of them are. But what is more interesting is that a lot of them GENUINELY believe they have this 'gift' to be able to talk to the dead. I was not joking before when I asked if it could be a mental illness. I am, and will always research the subject heavily, but there are only so many books you can read without having to roll up the sleeves and meet psychic claimants, hence starting up the company.

I recall one of my first 'real-life' introductions to a psychic claimant.

We had organised an event at a small(ish) location in the North West, which had an apparent reputation for being severely haunted.

We had a small team and we had invited a woman who claimed psychic/clairvoyant and trance ability.

Now trance, is, for those who aren't aware, the ability to let spirits in and effectively 'take over' so the spirit can communicate using the hosts vocal chords.

Fans of Derek Acorah will already be familiar with this sideshow routine.

Half way through the ghost hunt and my notebook was full of claims by this medium, which I was to later research and discover that it was available, almost word for word on the internet. I was all but ready to give up hope of any entertainment for the evening when all of a sudden, the medium, who was sat on the stairs at this point (apparently the most haunted part of the building?) when she started breathing deeply.

Now, I thought she was launching into an Asthma attack, but no, it was much more fun than that.

2 minutes of heavy breathing and her face starts to scrunch up to what I can only describe as a bulldog chewing a wasp.

Then, in the dead of night, a booming voice came from her 'GET OUT'

Girls wept, car alarms activated, buildings shook.

Maybe not, but at the time it was for a split second rather disconcerting. Until my rationality kicked in.

She spoke no more, merely transitioned her breathing to normal and opened her eyes, with claims that she did not know what she said, but that she felt the spirit of a Monk had been close by her previously.

Now afterward, I conducted research on the history of the building and there was categorically no religious associations with the building what so ever. In fact, it had previously been used as a large private house.

Why do mediums and psychics always claim to be possessed by monks/important figures in life.

Where are all the peasants/commoners?

Why would a Monk, who is obviously an religious person of the highest order, come through and possess a woman and shout 'Get out'? Western religions, by doctrine veto any kind of spiritualist activity. They are forbidden to meddle or express any interest in the subject.(Please do not mention the 'Holy Ghost' you will have me ranting for hours!) So why would this religious 'spirit' go against this?

Quite simply, because it is bollocks.

And there ends my first encounter with a medium, and my first encounter with one who does 'trance' work.

I have just discovered the joys of Twitter.

I have also discovered the joys of the Twitter Widget on this Blog.

I have more ghost hunts to run this week so thought it would be good to give you live updates from locations using my handy iPhone and Twitter.

It'll be like Saturday morning Grandstand - albeit Mentalist Grandstand.

I look back now and wonder why or how I got into this whole business and I can’t quite remember. I had this strong interest from an early age, did something happen in my infancy that sparked this interest? Have I repressed something so far back into the deepest darkest recesses of my mind that all but the after effects are known?

Or maybe I just enjoyed watching Scooby Doo a little too much.

Now, my first ever ‘real life’ ghost hunt was, as mentioned previously, with a well known ghost hunting company. I say well known, but if you didn’t have an interest in this kind of thing, you would have never had heard of them!

Dudley Castle was the location for my first foray into the dark and seedy world of Ghost Hunting.

Dudley is an amazing location with lots of history but no ghosts. There were plenty of strange howling, grunting and whistling noises, however I fear these could well be attributed to the attached Zoo.

But! That was the night I discovered the weird and wonderful kinds of mentalists that attend these things.

Our ‘Medium’ for the night was an aging hippy from somewhere in the Midlands, with her violet suede pant suit, jesus sandals and fiery red hair, she would not have looked out of place on the fields of Woodstock, sailing to the sky on an acid high whilst Janis Joplin bemoans parking lots and modern civilization.

The ‘Medium’ stumbled and mumbled her way through standard cold reading techniques, picking up all the names and associations which are plastered all throughout the castles visitors centre, but sadly, nothing extra. The usual sub-conscious, auto-suggestive techniques deployed throughout the night, in what turned out to be a pretty sub-standard affair.

Having said that, I was hooked. Not because I believed we had spirit contact, but because of the fascinating world of the Psychic Medium, the ghost hunt attendees and the amazing history behind the location.

Little did I know that this one night would set me on a course doomed to destroy my weekend free time and instead leave me looking after 30+ screaming mentalists for 8 or so hours.

If I’d have known then, what I know now, I would have taken up male prostitution of a weekend instead.

So I figure it may finally be time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and introduce myself and the purpose of this blog.

Now, before I begin, I must warn you that I have a strong dislike of Blogs. And Ghosts. And People who believe in Ghosts. In fact I just dislike people. They are whiny, neurotic, self-obsessed nimrods. So the natural choice for someone like me would be to create a whiny, neurotic, self-obsessed blog and start up a company taking said people on the hunt for ghosts!

So, let's start at the beginning.

I am in my mid thirties, and 5 years ago decided, along with someone close, to venture into the huge, multi-million pound business of ghost hunting.

Did you spot the over-exaggeration? That's right. I am nowhere near mid-thirties.

Years ago, when at school, I developed an interest in the paranormal. But not in the 'Ooooh I want to see a ghost' sense. Merely a strong fascination with the irrationality of the whole 'industry'.

Psychics/Mediums/Clairvoyants - are these people really talking to the dead?

Of course not. But, it doesn't mean that they set out to deliberately mis-lead people. I have met hundreds of these so called Psychics, and a huge majority of them genuinely believe that they can talk to the dead. Are they more attuned to some inner-monologue? Do they have a more over-active imagination? Are they mentally ill? Who knows, but it is something I have, and will continue to look for the answer.

Right, where was I?

After developing this interest it pretty much stayed with me for the next 20 years, without ever exploring it too much, until through work, I met someone who had a strong interest in the same, but from a different perspective.

Tentatively, I surrendered into going on a ghost hunt, organised by a well known company. That night really opened my eyes into how many people have a strong interest in this subject. Of course, in the mean time, programs like Most Haunted were being broadcast, providing a laugh a minute for the populous.

So, a few years ago, I decided to start a company, visiting these apparently haunted locations, and taking hundreds of people along with me.

I think I have said enough for one post - this brief, and chaotic introduction, will, I have no doubt be expanded upon, at some point in the not to distant future, along with some stories of the kind of people I have encountered, and just how mental one person can be!

You will see that I am full of contradictions, ratty and very pessimistic!