Discussion 30: Telling a good scary story

Scary stories are an important part of Halloween. It's fun to spook your friends. Here are some of my favorite tips for telling a better scary story:

1. Set a spooky mood by dimming the lights.

2. Hold a flashlight under your chin while you tell the story.

3. Set your story in a place that's familiar to your guests, like a spooky old house in your neighborhood- it will make it seem much more real.

4. Talk slowly, in a low voice, so people will have to lean in to hear you.

5. Do not laugh while you are telling your story!

6. Have someone (like a sibling) sneak up on your guests and scare them.

7. Stories with a surprising twist at the end are crowd pleasers.

Those are my top tips for telling the best scary story in town. Enjoy!

Happy Haunting,
Frankie

Discussion 29: Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle is located off the southeastern Atlantic coast of the US. It is sometimes known as the "Devil's Triangle." This area (the points being Bermuda, Miami, and San Juan, Puerto Rico) has a high rate of unexplained ship/boat and plane losses. Within the BT a magnetic compass will point towards true north, rather than magnetic north like a compass would in any other place (which can put the navigator off by 20 degrees). Another unique characteristic of this area is the Gulf Stream, which is very turbulent and unpredictable. These two things alone could be the reason for so many disappearances. Even Christopher Columbus noted that they area was bizarre!

But is the Bermuda Triangle nothing more than a disaster spot because of a few natural occurrences? Or is there something paranormal going on? Could the BT be a gateway into another dimension? In an episode of The X-Files that is exactly what happened. Fox Mulder was transported back to WWII. (And is seriously one of the best episodes. The camera work is awesome). What do you believe? A natural phenomenon or a paranormal one?

National Geographic

Discussion 28: Spirit boards

Spirit boards are boards which have the letters of the alphabet, and other words and symbols on them. They are used to talk to spirits, using a planchette to spell out words. A planchette is a piece of wood on which each person trying to contact a spirit puts one finger. The planchette is supposed to move on it's own to spell out messages from the dead.

The best known spirit boards are Ouija boards, which are made and trademarked by Hasbro. A man named William Fuld named the Ouija board. According to Fuld, the word "Ouija" comes from the French and German words for "yes." this name is so well known, that most people simply refer to all spirit boards as Ouija boards. An author named Emily Grant Hutchings even wrote a novel using a Ouija board, in 1917. It is called Jap Herron: A Novel Written by the Ouija Board. She believed it was dictated by the late Mark Twain.

Can spirit boards really put you in contact with the dead? No one knows for sure. Some say the planchette is moved by spirits, but others say that the planchette is moved by the unconscious movements of the living players. Many people believe spirit boards can attract demons, and other evil spirits, and even lead to possession. Despite these warnings, spirit boards are still used in current times. Needless to say, their use should not be taken lightly.

For more on the spirit board's haunting history, see these sites:
http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/WebOuija.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija

Happy Haunting,
Frankie

Discussion 27: Ayre's Rock

Frankie and I are back for out weekly discussions. We have a few different things planned, and please post any suggestions on things you'd like to see in the comments. We look forward to teaching our readers new paranormal things!

Ayre's Rock, known as Uluru, it's aboriginal name, is located in Northern Territory, Australia. It's sacred to aboriginal creation mythology, which is known as dreamtime. It is Australia's post popular natural attraction.

Many tourists who have visited Ayre's rock have taken small pieces of it as souvenirs. The strange part? Most all of these bits of rock have been returned with claims by the owners that they have had bad luck ever since. It is said that Uluru has it's own magic and way of protecting itself. It reminds me of the "Brady Bunch" Hawaii episode where Peter (I think?) found the tiki idol and everyone who had it had bad luck. Have you ever had an item that gave you constant bad luck?

Ayre's Rock is a sandstone formation 1,142 feet high and 2 miles long. Possibly over 3 miles of the rock is concealed underground. In the aboriginal beliefs, there is a hollow underneath with energy called Tjukurpa meaning "dream time". This dreamtime is about reality being a dream. This is a myth or belief of the formation of the world.

Uluru is a popular tourist attraction, which the aboriginals aren't terribly fond of. And you can't really blame them since this is something in their beliefs and tourists don't pay it proper respect.

You can see pictures at this website: http://www.crystalinks.com/ayersrock.html.

Discussion 26: King's Park Psychiatric Center

Kings Park is an old Long Island psychiatric facility. Many who have investigated the old building agree that the place has a decidedly spooky energy. Stories are told about mental patients being tortured in tunnels below the building, although the torture chambers' existence hasn't been confirmed. It is believed that abuse of patients did occur in this facility though. The actual facility is now closed, and entering the building is against the law, but stories still arise of people seeing spirits, hearing disembodied screams, and capturing photos of ghostly mists. For photos and info, see this site: http://lioddities.com/ghost/kingspark.html

Discussion:
- This building seems like the perfect setting for ghost stories. Do you think it's easier for people to see ghostly phenomena in a place like this?

- The tunnels are believed to be places of torture. Do you think that negative energy can stick around so long?


Happy haunting,
Frankie

Discussion 25: Questing Beast

Kit is here today to help me talk about the questing beast.

The Questing Beast is best known from stories about King Arthur. It's a pretty reoccurring theme with one knight or another on a quest to find it. The QB is usually described as sounding like "thirty hounds" with the noise coming from it's stomach. In the book Morte d'Arthur it is described as having the head of a snake, body of a leopard, a lion's back end, and a deer's feet. It's origin is supposedly from an incestuous affair that was aided by magic and produced this demon. The sound of dogs is from the curse the woman's brother placed on their child because he was sentenced to death by being torn to bits by dogs.

The QB has another incestuous affair tied to it as well (this being from Arthurian legends, of course) and that is Arthur's affair with his half sister Morgan or Morgause depending on which you believe (and don't get Kit started on that). The QB is said to be the symbol of Arthur's lust. But what really is this thing? Is it real? A lot of that could really depend on your opinion of Arthurian legends and whether or not you believe King Arthur was also a real being.

On the TV show Merlin the QB is called a creature born of old magic and "one bite, you die". What do you think the QB is? How was is created?

This discussion was brought to you by Emily and Kit.

Discussion 24: The Jersey Devil

In the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, a mysterious creature is said to exist. This creature is the Jersey Devil. According to local legend, the mother of the Jersey Devil was a woman named Mrs. Leeds, who was pregnant with her thirteenth child. The year was 1735. On the night she was to have the baby, she cursed it, saying; "Let this child be the devil." That night, she gave birth to a winged creature with hooves, and the child flew away. There are other variations of how the Jersey Devil came to be, but this version is the most well known.

Several years later, a member of the local clergy is said to have exorcised the Jersey Devil. It seemed to last for a while, but after time, people started seeing and hearing the creature again. He fed on people's cattle, and residents living near the Pine Barrens were terrified of this beast. Sightings continued, although no one could capture the beast. During the early 1900's, the Jersey Devil was reportedly seen by many, and the legend became more popular than ever. Sightings, however less frequent than in the past, continue into the present day.

Want to know more? Read the full legend here: http://njdevilhunters.com/legend.html

Questions:

-Why do you think no one can capture the Jersey Devil?
-Why do you think sightings of it are less frequent now than in the past?
-Do you believe that this creature exists?
-If so, do you believe it is really a supernatural creature?

Happy Haunting,
Frankie