Kelly's Computer

Sixty-eight year old Patrick Kelly was a successful businessmen. He owned a number of transport companies, textile mills and toy manufacturing companies. He also owned a few shipping lines. Although Kelly was a very busy person he had a fascination. He simply loved to play chess. He used to play chess with his dear friend Morris Tillet on a regular basis. However, the sudden premature death of Morris broke his heart and he fully concentrated in his business in later years.

Kelly visited a computer exhibition in 1979, twenty-five years after his friend's death. The computers on display impressed him. What fascinated him most was that computers can play chess. His fascination for chess was rekindled. He ordered a computer immediately. The computer was delivered to his house within a month. Kelly placed the computer in his study. He haven't forgotten his friend though. He placed a bust of Morris Tillet on the computer.

Kelly programmed some great chess moves in the game. He became glued to the game from the very first day. He noticed that the computer played back according to the famous moves invented by an eighteenth century french grandmaster, the favorite moves of this dear friend. Kelly played for three long hours and became tired and exhausted. He went over to disconnect the plug. A surprise was waiting for him. He had forgotten to plug in the computer. The computer worked without electricity!!!

Kelly didn't have much knowledge about computers. However, he could understand quite well that a computer isn't supposed to work without electricity. He informed the computer company about the incident. The next day the mechanic came and listened to him. "Incredulous!" the man replied. A computer cannot play on its own and the moves have to be programmed, let alone working without electricity, the man continued.

The computer was from a well-known company. The company became worried about their reputation and provided him with a new computer. The new computer was also provided with a chess game having twenty-two simple and sixty complicated chess moves. Kelly decided to publish a new chess move in a local newspaper. As soon as he worked out the move in the computer, the machine started to play back on it's own. He became furious and turned the computer off. His fury turned into astonishment very soon. The computer was still working. He disconnected the plug, but, the computer went on displaying the last move on the monitor. Kelly, out of curiosity, made another move.

He suddenly remembered the game he played with Morris on 12th April, 1952. That's a game he will never forget. A strong coincidence took place during that game. Both of them made the same move. The computer did the same thing twenty-eight years later. He informed the company. A team of engineers came and checked everything thoroughly. They took the sculpture away for further investigation. Curiously, the computer worked alright that night.

The experts did an x-ray of the sculpture and carried out many other tests. However, none of the tests did yield any result. The bust was returned the next day. The computer started with all the spooky stuff all over again. The computer experts could never give any satisfactory explanation to these. The believers of the supernatural claimed that Morris' soul used Kelly's mental power to run the computer. But, this is off-course no scientific explanation. The above tale remains an unsolved mystery till date.

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The Haunted Railcrossing

This tale is about one of the most infamous rail-crossings in North America. The spooky tales concerning the rail-crossing near San Juan Mission, south of San Antonio, Texas is now the stuff of urban- legends and the details vary greatly in different accounts. However, the gist of the story is somewhat same-- it was the location of a tragic accident. Sometime in the 1930s or 1940s, a school-bus full of young children was making its way down the rail-crossing when it was rammed hard by a speeding train. Ten children along with the driver died on the spot. Ever since the tragic accident, any cars that stopped across the crossing are pushed uphill by unseen entities. It is claimed that the spirit of the children push the vehicles away from the way of accidents to prevent similar tragedy.

The story has fueled enthusiasm throughout the community and even today people regularly line up their cars a few yards of the tracks and put them in neutral to see whether the legend is true. The cars roll up the road (the track is slightly uphill) against the gravity on their own accord. The legend has been tested over and over again. Now comes the second part of the story. Many people have sprinkled baby-powder on the boot and the rear bumper of the car and noticed tiny fingerprints and hand prints appearing after the cars are pushed uphill.

A first-hand account:

Brenda Pacheco is lucky enough to have a first-hand experience of the legend. According to her account, she put the car in neutral and took her foot off the pedal. The car moved quickly towards the tracks, up over the bumps, down the other side and well out of the harm's way. She also did the powder test and noticed tiny fingerprints at the back of her car along with a pair of adult fingerprints.

So, what is the truth behind the legend? Several serious investigations had been done into the legend but, neither did yield any result. San Antonio police also took out an investigation into the alleged accident. However, they do not have any such accident in their records. Now, we come to the gravity-defying cars. A technical survey done by a local TV Station has found that the road going uphill is in fact an illusion. The road is actually at a 2 degree decline. So, a car put into neutral will naturally roll forward. But, what about the fingerprints? Experts say that powder sprinkled onto a car can display much older fingerprints also. So, the fingerprints might as well be the fingerprint of some living people.

So, almost all the happening seems to have a scientific explanation. Nevertheless, the legend has fascinated people for decades and will probably go on doing so.

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Residual Hauntings

Many ghost sightings are very similar. In fact, some witnesses report seeing the exact same ghost in the exact same place at different times. This is referred to as a “residual haunting,” which is like a past event being played back over and over again.

It’s believed that the “ghosts” involved in residual hauntings aren’t really ghosts at all, and what the witnesses are seeing is actually a “recording” of a past event. It’s as if the witnesses are seeing a “glimpse” of the past, at a time when the “ghost” or “apparition” was still alive. The event plays itself over and over again throughout time.

The Tower of London is well known for its residual type hauntings. Anne Boleyn has been seen over and over again throughout the centuries, as well as Catherine Howard. Another place famous for residual hauntings is Gettysburg. There have been many reports of witnesses seeing Civil War soldiers. Some believe that the soldiers are still “fighting” as if they don’t know they’re already dead, while others believe it’s all part of a residual haunting. Some paranormal experts believe that what is actually being witnessed is the battle itself as it happened, because the event has been “recorded” and is being replayed over and over again for all time.

So why are these events being played back for us to watch? And how is it that we can still catch a glimpse of the past, so to speak? Perhaps the only answer we have is that, during traumatic events, a lot of energy and emotion is given off and is some how “stored” in the material surroundings. But why are some people able to see the play backs and others aren’t? It could depend on a number of things: maybe some people are more sensitive or psychic, maybe it depends on the circumstances or time, etc.

If you ever find yourself witnessing a residual haunting, don’t be afraid. Remember, what you’re seeing isn’t really a “spirit” or a “ghost”. You’ll be seeing an event from the past, at a time when the apparition gave off enough energy to stand through the tests of time. It’ll be almost as if you’re watching an event on the news, only with residual hauntings, there is no television involved.

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Shadow People

Have you ever seen a shadowy figure out of the corner of your eye? Does the figure even appear to be somewhat human? Or at least a human shadow? Well if you have, you’re not alone.

Millions of people have witnessed this phenomenon, which is referred to as “Shadow People”. Some just shrug it off, thinking it’s no more than their imagination. Others truly believe that they saw a human-like shadow at a place where it shouldn’t have been. Sometimes, Shadow People are even seen by a person who is alone, while other times these strange shadows appear to be lurking within other shadows.

So what exactly are Shadow People? Are they some sort of spirt or ghost? Maybe a being from another dimension or realm? Do they represent some sort of vision? Or are they nothing more than just figments of our imagination? Whatever Shadow Peopleare, they are being reportedly witnessed everyday. In fact, Shadow People represent some of the most popular supernatural sightings in the world.

The most believed theory is that Shadow People are spirits with dense energy, like orbs and vortexes. Some photos show that orbs and vortexes do occasionally cast shadows. All though we can’t see orbs or vortexes with our naked eye, it’s believed we can sometimes see the shadows they cast. essentially, this theory explains that the Shadow People we actually see represents the energy of the spirit that we can’t see with our naked eyes.

Another theory is that we’re getting a glimpse into another dimension. Perhaps that dimension or realm blends in with ours a bit and what we’re seeing is the shadow of someone from the other dimension. If that’s the case, then can that person see us? Do we appear like a shadow to them? Many paranormal investigators are intrigued by this theory. Unfortunately though, there’s really no way to prove it.

When it comes to Shadow People, all we can do is theorize and speculate. Perhaps all explanations are equally valid. Maybe Shadow People don’t have just one origin. While they mostly appear to be “human” outlines, there are still some that are witnessed in different sizes and shapes. Unfortunately, they go away as quickly as they appear, so nobody ever really gets a good look at them. They are strange though. One good thing that can be said about Shadow People is that, for the most part, witnesses don’t report any feelings of negativity coming from them. Shadow People leave witnesses feeling strange, and maybe a bit uneasy, but hardly ever frightened. We can only hope that Shadow People aren’t evil or malevolent, whatever they may be.

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Bobby Mackey's Nightclub Ghosts

Many know the stories about Bobby Mackey's nightclub ghosts, but most do not know about the history of the club. Many years ago the now nightclub was a slaughterhouse.

Many people have reported strange happenings inside the club including one man that was attacked in the bathroom, but no one was there. This alone would make the average person never go back. However, the haunting has made this the hottest nightclub to be at late in the evening. There are many ghosts that haunt the nightclub including a woman named Pearl. Pearl was rumored to have been decapitated for a satanic sacrifice.

Many people have reported strange happenings inside the club including one man that was attacked in the bathroom, but no one was there. This alone would make the average person never go back. However, the haunting has made this the hottest nightclub to be at late in the evening. There are many ghosts that haunt the nightclub including a woman named Pearl. Pearl was rumored to have been decapitated for a satanic sacrifice.

Over the years, there are many deaths that occurred inside the walls of the now country music nightclub. This nightclub does have a reputation, but it is not for the music, it is because of the ghosts that haunt the club. Some investigators have experienced some horrific ghosts while in the nightclub. If you believe that ghosts do exist, then you can believe that ghosts do not always show. Some days the nightclub has no problems and other days, it is one thing after another. The demonic nature in the club is chilling according to many.

Because of all the deaths inside the walls, it is very possible that the ghosts are haunting the club. It may be that they are seeking revenge, but they could be trying to drive the business out. Although Bobby Mackey does not intend to sell the famous club, he may have some problems keeping customers if the ghosts get any meaner than they have already. One ghost tried to push an investigator down some steps. Then there is a ghost named Scott who repeated that it was his girlfriend's fault that he and another man were dead. Could these ghosts be looking for justice?

We have to believe that ghosts are here for a reason. One reason could be that there has been no justice served for the killings. Many haunted places are the scene of murders in which no suspects were caught and tried. Why do ghosts haunt places? Is it because they are looking for revenge or someone to find their killers. If you look at other haunted places, you will see that the ghosts are of people that were murdered and no one was ever caught and tried. The Bobby Mackey's Nightclub has ghosts and all died within the walls of the build over the years.

One would have to look into the deaths of all the ghosts to see how they died and if anyone was arrested for their murders or deaths. Maybe this would help understand why the ghosts are so vindictive. The ghosts in the nightclub are not your typical ghosts, they are mean and try to cause harm to the people that enter the building. There have been some incredible activity in the club and no one knows why. Some day, maybe the ghosts will find justice or maybe someday they will succeed in killing an unsuspecting customer.

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Mysteries of Dudleytown

In the early part of the 1740’s, Thomas Griffis bought a plot of land that would later be considered the first lot in Dudleytown.

In northwestern Connecticut are the remains of a small township that was given the name of Dudleytown. The homes of this once thriving village that was nestled in the surrounding mountains are long gone, but it would seem that the spirits of those who once dwelt here still remain. There are many tales of ghosts, mysterious happenings, demonic beasts, horrible curses and a dark and violent history that starts with the very founding of America itself. Today, all that is left of Dudleytown are the sad remains of some stone foundations and the holes that once were used as cellars to store root vegetables and other foods during the winter months. The roads that were at one time well traveled are now no more than narrow foot paths where only hikers, and the devoted ghost hunter, will bother to traverse.

The land today has changed very little and looks very much as it did when Griffis settled there. It is a thickly forested landscape and rocks lie strewn on the ground where Dudleytown once stood. The land lies covered in shadow from the mountains and receives little sunlight. The woods have been given the name of "Dark Entry Forest".

In the beginning, the land where Dudleytown would later sit was owned by a man named Thomas Griffis. He and his family were the first to settle in that particular region in the early 1740’s. A village began to spring up a few years later in 1747 when Gideon Dudley arrived on the scene and it was through him the small village became known as Dudleytown. Gideon's two brothers soon followed him to the area and settled there as well. It was the Dudley’s who were said to be responsible for a curse that was laid upon the village and it is this supposed curse that many say is responsible for the horrors that roam the area to this day.

According to both recent and older accounts, this curse had its start in England in the year 1510. Edmund Dudley, one of the patriarchs of the family, was sentenced to death and beheaded for being part of a plot to overthrow King Henry VIII. It is said that a curse was placed on the family due to this treasonous behaviour. It is said that this curse was that all of the Dudley descendants would be plagued by unrelenting by horrors and death would hound them until every last one of the Dudley descendants were wiped from the face of the earth. Believers of the curse swear that the Dudley family then began having a rather nasty run of bad luck.

John Dudley, who was Edmund's son, made his own attempt to get control of the British throne by having his son, Guilford, marry Lady Jane Grey who was next in line for the crown. Lady Jane was queen for a short time upon the death of Edward VI, but the plan quickly failed and Lady Jane and Edmund and Guilford Dudley were all executed. Soon afterwards, Guilford’s brother returned from France after a stint in the military. He brought with him a vicious plague that spread to his officers and troops. The sickness eventually spread throughout the country, killing thousands of people. John Dudley’s third son, Robert, who was also the Earl of Leicester, decided to leave England and travel to the New World. It would be Robert's descendant William, who would later settle in Guilford, Connecticut. Abiel, Barzallai and Gideon, William's descendants, would later buy the land that became Dudleytown.

The village rested in the middle of three large hills, which is why it looked dark even at noon. Settlers began to trickle into the area. The Tanner, the Jones, the Patterson, the Dibble and the Porter families all settled in Dudleytown. Iron ore was discovered and the little village prospered for a while. Even so, goods such as food, cloth, tools, etc. had to be purchased from towns down the mountain because Dudleytown never had any stores, schools, churches nor even a cemetery. Dudleytown was also known for its timber, which was used to make wood coal for the Litchfield County Iron Furnaces in Cornwall and other towns.

In spite of the obvious prosperity though, there were strange deaths and bizarre occurrences at Dudleytown from the very beginning. There was an unusually high number of people who went insane and quite a few people who simply vanished and were never seen or heard from again.

Abiel Dudley lost his entire fortune and eventually his mind. Abiel was made a ward of the town, and in his final years he wandered around aimlessly, mumbling incoherently about "strange creatures in the woods" and unable to care for himself. Abiel died in 1799 at the ripe old age of 90, which was unusual in itself during this time period when people were lucky to live into their 30s or 40s. William Tanner, one of Abiel's closest neighbors, was also said to have gone insane. Oddly enough, Tanner lived to the age of 104 and according to records, Tanner also would talk of "strange creatures" that came out of the woods at night. Whether or not these creatures were supernatural or the product of a senile mind is impossible to say.

The records that are still in existence from the Dudleytown tell of strange illnesses, disappearances, numerous cases of people going insane, reports of strange creatures roaming the area at night, although it seems that most of the reports were from those folks who had been declared insane.

After the Civil War, Dudleytown began to die and most of the remaining families simply packed up and moved away. The small village soon became the haunt of birds, small animals, and began to be reclaimed by the forest.

During the final days of Dudleytown one rather strange and mysterious event came to light, and no matter how hard the skeptics try to disregard and debunk this odd occurrence in Dudleytown, even they can not give a reasonable explanation for the event.

In 1901, when the population of Dudleytown had dwindled to nearly nothing, one of the last residents of the town, John Patrick Brophy, suffered a slew of misfortunes. His first wife died when she was struck down by a sudden illness and then his two children vanished into the forest right after his wife's funeral. The children were never found. Shortly after the disappearance of his children, Brophy’s house was burned to the ground in a mysterious fire and not long after, Brophy himself disappeared and was never seen again. Shortly after these string of bizarre occurrences, Dudleytown officially ceased to be, and began to be reclaimed by the land.

Tales of spooky lights, misty apparitions, and strange incidences began to surface in the 1940’s when visitors to the old ruins reported seeing these strange things. Today, those folks who have made the long trek to visit the place show photographs of spooky mists that seem to show creepy faces peering out at the observer, and say they get feelings of terror, see mysterious lights, sights and hear creepy sounds. Many folks report that they have experienced being touched, pushed and scratched by unseen hands. Many say that this area was once the land belonging to the Mohawk tribe and they left it when the ground became "soured", or cursed.

Whatever the reasons for the strange and spooky occurrences in the area once known as Dudleytown, one thing is for certain, this remote part of Connecticut will remain a favorite place for thrill seekers and ghost hunters for many years to come.

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Ghostly and Phantom Hitchhikers

One recurring ghost story throughout history is of the “phantom hitchhiker” or “road ghost”. These stories even go back centuries when wagon drivers claimed to have given rides to strange entities.

No two stories are exactly the same, although they all do have recurring themes. Some people view road ghosts just to be urban legends and myths, while others believe that at least some stories have a bit of truth behind them.

Perhaps the most well known version of the story is that a driver, upon coming across a strange lady or girl standing next to the road, will offer her a ride. The girl usually seems quiet and polite, and gives the driver directions to her home. The driver will drop her off, and then sometime later will find out that the girl living at the home had died months or even years ago.

Other versions of the story will say that the girl disappears completely as soon as the driver stops at her “house!” Most of these stories are probably just urban legends, although it doesn’t account for every single phantom hitchhiker or road ghost account. Some theorize that perhaps, if a story like this one ever really did happen, perhaps the driver simply mistook the hitchhiker’s home with another home. After all, these stories all seem to happen at night time, so maybe the driver really didn’t get a good look at the “ghost’s” house after all.

There are other types of ghost encounters that reportedly occur on roads. These are referred to as “spectral jaywalkers”. In this type of scenario, motorists come across a human figure running or walking right out in front of the vehicle! The driver will usually try to slam the brakes on, only to find that the figure disappeared.

One possible explanation, of course, would be that the drivers are simply seeing things. That perhaps shadows only look like human-figures. Some also theorize that some motorists could be under the influence of alcohol or even drugs. Still, there are many who claim to have truly experienced such a phenomenon.

Paranormalists believe that such cases are possible. Many, many people have died on or near roads over the centuries, whether from highwaymen, auto accidents, or other reasons. Perhaps some of the individuals who lost their lives are still hanging around the roads. One sadder theory is that perhaps some of the phantom hitchhikers were killed on their way to someplace special, to perhaps meet someone. And now, they spend eternity trying to get there, but never will.

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Haunted Athens, Ohio

The quaint town of Athens sits in the southern most reaches of Ohio in the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian mountains have a very long history of tales of magic, spirits, and strange, unexplainable events.

Athens is one of these places nestled in the Appalachians that seem to have its fair share of ghostly happenings and stories.

The numerous legends centered around the town of Athens include everything from restless spirits haunting old homes, and Ohio State University, to several stone angels in the local cemeteries who weep tears of blood. Along with these strange tales there is the legend of the headless train conductor around the a certain stretch of train track around Lake Hope who tries to flag down passers-by with his lantern. This particular story goes back to the very early part of the 20th century when the citizens of the town of Moonville, which sits on the outskirts of Athens, were quarantined because of a sever measles outbreak. Food, medical, and other supplies in the little town were running low and this poor fellow went out to try and flag down a train to bring help. Unfortunately, the train struck the man, severing his head, and he has haunted that particular stretch of rail every since.

Haunted houses abound in Athens as well. One of these homes is said to be cursed because of a local college professor. It is said that he murdered his wife and shoved her body into one of those large steel drums then shoved this drum into a lake after punching it full of holes to try and make it sink. However, the ploy did not work and somehow the drum has ended up in front of his old house being used as a flower pot. It will not leak, no matter how much water is poured into it and it always returns to the spot that it sits on in spite of any attempt to discard it. The spirit of the murdered woman is said to still be lingering at the house as well. In another house there dwells the spirit of an old woman who would not ever leave her house when she was alive. After her death, her spirit never left either and people report seeing her staring out of the second story bedroom window.

On the campus of Ohio University is the Zeta Tau Alpha house. This is one of the oldest houses in Athens and legend has it that during the years of the Civil War, it was used as a hiding place for runaway slaves and was part of the Underground Railroad. The legend goes on to say that Confederate soldiers once raided the house and murdered a runaway slave named Nicodemus, who was being hidden in the basement. Since that time many residences of the house have reported seeing a black man in ragged clothes wandering through the house, doors opening by themselves, as well as moaning and banging sounds coming from behind the walls where the runaway slaves once hid. Along with these noted places are the many cemeteries dotting the town where reports of strange specters roam amongst the headstones and the statues of angles weep.

So, if your ever in Athens, Ohio, and are in the mood for some ghost hunting, you may want to check out these spooky spots of haunted Athens, Ohio.

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Shadow Ghosts- Who or What is the Hat Man?

Shadow people are pretty well-known, supernatural entities that seem to be a wide spread phenomenon.

Many cultures from around the world have always claimed to having seen shadowy beings lurking around. One variation of this type of entity is the hat man. This type of entity is mostly featureless, although they /he/it clearly have masculine forms and wear old fashioned hats.

It’s also been suggested that this strange entity is somewhat of an inspiration for Freddy Krueger. Wes Craven has talked about an experience he once had when he was a young boy, in which he saw a scary looking man walking down the street wearing a bowler hat. The man had scars all over his face and looked up at Craven through the window and gave off a sense of foreboding.

While this could have just been an ordinary guy and not a shadowy person or demon, it was still a creepy experience. People who reportedly come across a hat man usually claim to feel a frightening feeling, as if they are being threatened. While some ghosts don’t seem aware of the presence of the living, it seems that shadow people do. Witnesses claim that, despite not seeing his face, they have a sense that the hat man is staring right at them.

Furthermore, it would seem that this entity’s sole purpose in visiting people is to make them as uncomfortable and frightened as possible. They normally don’t try to communicate, except for the fact they are emitting bad vibes. Their mere presence alone is enough to make someone feel extremely uncomfortable and even threatened.

Still, there’s no evidence to suggest that something very bad happens after someone sees the hat man. The “ghost” or “demon”, whatever it may be, usually goes away after a few moments and nothing bad ever seems to happen afterwards. So, shadow people really malevolent? Is the hat man really a threat to anyone?

It seems that this phenomenon provides more questions than answers. Most people who witness hat men claim that they’re solid and definitely an outline of a male body. The outline of the hat is also distinct and solid. It’s only natural to assume that they’re real enough to be more than just the witness’s imagination.

One theory is that they could be physical manifestations of one’s own psyche, and are somehow created subconsciously after an individual experiences some problems in life.

Whatever the case may be, anyone who ever witnesses a hat man will undoubtedly feel creeped out by him. Whether he’s an actual entity or a psychic manifestation of someone’s subconscious, he definitely gives of negative vibes and a sense of foreboding to anyone around.

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The Summerwind Haunting

On the beautiful, wind swept and lonely reaches of northeast Wisconsin is West Bay Lake; and on the shores of this lake is the ruins of a mansion called Summerwind.

On the beautiful, wind swept and lonely reaches of northeast Wisconsin is West Bay Lake; and on the shores of this lake is the ruins of a mansion called Summerwind. This once huge, spacious, and very grandiose mansion was home of Robert P. Lamont and his family. Mr. Lamont built the mansion in 1916 to be a summer home for he, his wife, and their children as a place to get away from all the pressures of the political rat-race know as Washington D.C. and his job as Secretary of Commerce during the presidency of Herbert Hoover.

However, it would seem that long before the more recent dark tales of violent hauntings Lamont apparently had his own encounters with spirits; indicating that even before he built the great house itself, something dark and sinister haunted the land around the seemingly sublime lake. As the story goes, Lamont had a rather frightening encounter with an entity that tried to attack him and he shot at it. The bullets passed straight through the spirit and lodged in the basement door behind the ghostly apparition. Apparently the bullets remained in the door for many years until the house was sold after the death of Robert Lamont.

The mansion change hands several times, although no one ever reported any strange happenings until the early 1970s. Arnold and Ginger Hinshaw , along with their six children, bought and moved into Summerwind in the early 1970's. The mansion by this time had been empty for many years and become run down and dilapidated. When the couple looked into buying the old house and the property, they found, incredibly, that it was well within their budget. Both Arnold and Ginger could not believe their luck. However, the family would only reside in the house for six months, before fleeing in terror.

From the very first day the Hinshaw's started moving in, bizarre and unexplainable events began to happen. Dark shapes and shadows were seen dancing down the hallways. Disembodied voices were heard all over the house in empty and unused rooms. Family members reported seeing the apparition of a sad looking woman floating by the doors to the kitchen.

Appliances would break down and quit working; then, just as mysteriously, they would seem to repair themselves and be working fine when a repairman would show up to fix them. The windows and doors would close and open on their own. In spite of all these weird goings-on, the Hinshaw's decided they would stay and try to make the best of the situation.

Arnold and Ginger began renovations of the old house and while doing so came across a gruesome discovery, corpse of what appeared to a man. At this point, the paranormal activity in the house began to escalate to alarming proportions.

Arnold became sullen and withdrawn, complaining that evil spirits were plaguing him to the point that he had complete mental breakdown and Ginger was driven almost to the point of suicide. Arnold was admitted to a psychiatric hospital and Ginger fled with her children to her parents in Granton, Wisconsin. Eventually, Arnold and Ginger divorced and Ginger and her children got on with their lives, but the memory of terror of Summerwind has continued to haunt her.

In 1986, Summerwind was purchased by three investors who had wanted to turn it into a hotel or bed and breakfast. However, it would seem fate had other plans. In June of 1988, Summerwind mansion was struck by lightning during a fierce storm and burned to the ground. Today, only the foundations and the stone chimneys are all that remain of the once grand mansion, although, who knows? Perhaps the spirits that brought terror to this family and others still wander the desolate ruins of Summerwind.

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Me and My Shadow: A Ghostly Encounter?

You're sitting alone in a dimly lit room, slightly uneasy; and you might have the feeling you're being watched.

Just as your heart-rate quickens and breathing slows, you see a

shadow-like figure from the corner of your eye, darting across the room. By the time

your head snaps around to take in the full fear of what you've seen, the shadow vanishes

right through the wall, never allowing you full scope. Suddenly, you're overcome with

feelings of terror and trepidation. Could it be you've been paid a visit from the elusive

Shadow Beings? Have you been singled out, targeted, and spied upon by this dark force?

Maybe - but maybe not.

Shadow beings - also known as shadow men, shadow people, shadow folk, and a

multitude of other names - have been reported periodically throughout human history.

However, escalated reports over the past decade or so have increased our awareness,

interests, curiosities, tales, and fears of these unknown entities. What are they? Where

do they come from? What do they want? Why are they here? The theories of these

paranormal phenomena are as wide-spread and varied as one could imagine. However,

there are also a few potential scientific explanations with origins firmly rooted in the non-

paranormal reality in which we live and function.

These are the traits most commonly associated with Shadow People from varying reports:

• Dark, shadow-like substances lacking mass

• Sometimes appearing in child-like form, not much taller than three feet

• Generally associated as males

• Can be reported as having red, glowing eyes, but also as having no discernable

features such as mouth, nose, or eyes

• Most often seen through peripheral vision, rarely directly with center-forward

vision

• Can be accompanied with severe feelings of dread

• Have been known, though rarely, to "attack" people, although "attack" has not

been clearly defined. Some people report seeing Shadow figures with weapons,

although the weapons have not been clearly described or defined.

• Have been reported as humanoid silhouettes, shapeless masses, or dark mists

• Movement is described as initially slow, and then lightening quick

• Are usually attached or drawn to one particular person or place

• Have been associated with smells such as sulfur, rotten eggs, or decaying flesh

• Can sometimes appear as animals, such as "shadow-cats"

• Animals are said to react violently to the presence of shadow figures

• Have personalities ranging from timid and wary to downright nasty

• Have been identified as pranksters, toying with human emotion for entertainment

(ex: pulling down the covers when a person is in bed)

Shadow people are said to differ from ghosts and ghostly apparitions because, unlike

ghost sightings, shadow people cannot be described as having recognizable features or

manners of dress such as period clothing.

Now that we know their supposed character attributes, let's take a look at some of the

theories about where these shadow people come from:

• Demonic in source

• Spiritual representations of live people engaged in out-of-body experience, or

"astral-projections", the traveling souls of live humans

• Time travelers from the future whose technological time-travel techniques limit

them to shadow substance in our time

• Quantum leaps from "otherworlds" - beings from parallel dimensions, alternate

universes, who have found a way to transport between realms, such as elementals

• Aliens, of course

• Manifestations of negative energy

• Jinn, Dijinn, or Genies

• Guardian angels warning of impending doom

Which of these theories you believe can tie directly into your religious concepts. In order

to believe these beings are either demonic or angelic would require one to believe in

certain religious concepts such as God and Satan. To believe these are creatures crossing

between the veils separating dimensions, one would have to believe in faerie-lands and

otherworlds. The alien theory requires one to buy into inter-galactic travels, and if

leaning toward the Genie or Dijinn theory, then who uncorked the bottle or rubbed the

magic lamp, and why? None of these explanations offers a solid, tangible, logical,

scientific explanation for the origin of shadow figures. That's not to say shadow figures

don't exist, or that these theories are "wrong", but it does leave room for reasonable

doubt and most of these theories cannot be applied to humanity as a whole based on their

varied belief systems. However, there is a bit of rock-solid scientific evidence for where

these shadow figures might come from, and why they may not be paranormal pranksters

or peeping Toms.

Shadow people are most often reported as having been seen "out of the corner of the

eye", or through peripheral vision. Well, there's an explanation for how this could be

possible without being paranormal. There's a condition known as Pareidolia. Peripheral

vision is connected to the area of the brain that recognizes patterns, but provides less

detail to the brain than something seen in full view. In this circumstance, the brain

wrongly interprets patters of light and shadow. It reminds me of optical illusion artwork

where we're asked whether we see the face of an old woman, or a vase of flowers.

Another condition which could account for shadow figures scientifically versus

paranormally is called Hyponogogia, a form of waking sleep when dreams and reality

overlap one another. In this state, your body is awake and your mind is attuned to your

physical surroundings, but at the same time, the dream-state drapes over that reality,

blending fact and fiction.

Neurological factors could explain many shadow people encounters.

In addition to these physical, psychological, and neurological contributions to the

existence of shadow figures, there's also the consideration of electromagnetic fields.

Electromagnetic fields have been suggested to influence the human brain, causing

"misfires" of information and hallucinations. Maybe you're not encountering a shadow

figure at all, but instead, are sitting or standing in an electromagnetic "hot spot".

Of course, then there's the obvious. If you've just smoked a fatty, popped a pill, or

downed a pint of Vodka, chances are, what you saw was NOT paranormal, but

chemically induced.

Most reports of shadow figures can be explained away by these scientific or logical

explanations; most... but not all. This leaves room to believe in the possibility that amidst

the ample false reports, some encounters may actually be true.

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