My First Ghost Hunt!

I finally did my first offical ghost hunt! A ghost hunting group from Texas (Ghost Seekers of Texas) came out to do an investigation of the Pensacola Lighthouse. We got to walk around with all kinds of gadgets, tried to capture EVP's, took pictures and video and lots more. It was so much fun. We didn't personally catch anything, but we're going out to the lighthouse for another investigation in a few weeks. I can't wait!

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Haunted Lighthouses - Seguin Island Light

Way up in the northeastern corner of the U.S, perched high on its own little barren island made of rock, sits Sequin Island Lighthouse. This lighthouse, located at the mouth of the Kennebec River in Georgetown, Maine, is the second lighthouse that was ever built in Maine and is one of the oldest in the U.S. The little island of rock, located in an area that is frequently shrouded in fog -- an average of 2,734 hours of fog every year -- and hammered with cold, high winds, seemed almost designed by nature to harbor a lighthouse.

Merchants submitted the petition for the lighthouse in 1786, but the government didn't order the lighthouse built until 1795. Once President George Washington gave the order, the lighthouse construction began and the project was completed in 1797 at a cost of $6,300.

Sequin Island Lighthouse holds the title as the highest elevated lighthouse in Maine, standing just over 180 feet above sea level. The fixed, non-flashing light is visible to ships as far out as 40 miles. Due to the high occurance of fog in this area, the light house is equipped with one of the most powerful fog horns ever made. The original structure was replaced in 1820, and again in 1857 when the present structure was erected. The light was continued to be manually monitored until it was fully automated in 1985.

The history of Seguin Island Light Station is filled with strange and tragic stories. One is that of the first lightkeeper who died penniless and boatless on the island. Some say his ghost has haunted the keepers who came after him. There have been sightings of a ghost who has been named the "Old Captain". He is usally seen climbing the staircase of the tower as if heading upstairs to tend to the light.

One night the old furnishings were being removed from the premesis. Apparently the man in charge of the crew moving the furniture was awakened in the middle of the night by the "Old Captain" who asked him not to take the furniture and to leave his home alone. The man didn't grant the request and the next day after the furniture had been loaded onto a boat and was being lowered into the water, the cable mysteriously snapped. The boat and everything in it fell onto the rocks below and were smashed into pieces. It appears the "Old Captain" got his way afterall.

Another frequent sighting is that of a young girl running up and down the stairs and waving to those who see her. She has also been heard laughing and bouncing a ball in a room upstairs. History shows that a young girl died on the island and was buried near the lighthouse.

Perhaps the most tragic incident that occured on the island is that of a former caretaker in the mid 1800's who was driven insane and murdered his wife, then took his own life. Legend states the caretaker brought his wife to live with him at the lighthouse shortly after they were married. As time went by, she became depressed and sullen and he bought her a piano to help cheer her up.

Unfortunately, she didn't memorize music and had to play from sheet music. Since she had only had one piece of sheet music on the island, she played the same song over and over until her husband finally took an axe to the piano and to her, and then killed himself.

Passing ships have reported that the sound of faint piano music coming from the island can be heard floating out over the waves on still, calm evenings.

Additional accounts of the paranormal include doors opening and closing by themselves, mysterous cold spots, coats being thrown onto the floor, tools disappearing and reappearing at random, and coughing from an unseen source.

The Sequin Island Lighthouse is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and is accessible by boat from Bath, Popham Beach, or Boothbay Harbor.

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The Basics of Paranormal Investigation

The word paranormal comes from the words "para" meaning beyond, and normal. So the term paranormal really means something that is beyond the normal scope of science or being beyond a scientific explanation. According to the Journal of Parapsychology, the term paranormal describes "any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions."

Ghosts generate strong electro-magnetic fields. These fields cause disruptions in the magnetic field of a location which makes it detectable by both specialized equipment and psychics. Ghost hunters use many different types of equipment to detect an paranormal phenomena. A 35mm or digital camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film have the ability to capture paranormal activity that is usually invisible to the naked eye. In addition to a camera, it's important to have a flashlight since most paranormal investigations will be in dark places like cemeteries, basements, attics, or old buildings. Also, most investigations occur between 9pm and 6am when it's dark. This is believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity. Along with the flashlight you'll need extra batteries, since batteries will sometimes mysteriously lost all their charge during paranormal investigations, literally leaving you in the dark.

Once you have these basic items, you're ready to start exploring the world of paranormal investigation. Some important things to remember are: never go on an investigation alone, and be respectful of the of the people, places and situations you encounter.

The first step in an investigation is selecting the place you're going to investigate. Once you choose a location, be sure to get permission to access the property to ensure you won't get into any trouble for trespassing. It's also very important to do some research on the location before you go out and physically investigate it. You can go to the library and look up old newspapers, visit the local historical society to find out about the history of the place and if anything strange has happened there, and of course talk with the owner of the property.

Once you get all your data collected you have to analyze it. Every picture, video, audio recording is reviewed to look for any sign of a haunting. When doing your analysis, be sure to be skeptical. Make sure you rule out any explainable causes for anything odd that may show up. Check for mirrors, shadows, light sources or anything else that may cause something weird to be seen or heard in your collected data. Most of the time, the things you initially detected during your investigation will have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. It's important to make sure your evidence will stand up to any scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.

Once you complete your analysis, you need to present your findings property owner. At this point you would recommend whether the owner needs to seek additional help, such a having the property blessed or if there is really nothing that needs to be or even can be done. Sometimes just having someone investigate the place and find nothing can help ease the mind of the person experiencing the haunting.

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The Basics of Residual Hauntings

The most common type of haunting is a residual haunting. A residual haunting can be described as an image that has been recorded in time and played back in a continuous loop over and over again through the years. Additionally, there is no intelligent ghost, spirit, or other entity directly involved. You may see the same scenes all the time, hear the same noises repeatedly, or even smell the same smells, usually at the same time of day. The image you are seeing will not even realize that you are there.

Although you might think you're seeing a spirit, it isn't really an actual spirit. It's not even there; it's just the leftover energy of an event in the past; like a recording. This repeated scene that plays over and over is usually a very significant event, life-altering event, or even a common event of a person or place. Usually the sounds and images recorded are related to traumatic events that took place at that location and caused some sort of disturbance or "psychic impression" to happen there. Traumatic events like beheadings, great battles, murders, or even a celebration can be the focus of a residual haunting.

In most cases people may hear the sounds of screaming,crying, breathing,phantom footsteps walking on the stairs or through hallways, or even odd, repetitive sounds like tapping or slamming. Although these images may manifest themselves Visually, they won't interact with the living and will just continue to repeat the same actions over and over again. It's just like rewinding a movie and watching the same scene over and over. The activity, whether sounds or sightings, will be random.

Although research is ongoing, some theories on residual hauntings have been suggested. A common explanation for this type of haunting is the energy has, in a way, become part of the dwelling it once occupied. This can be explained by the fact that some building materials, such as the slate that was used to build old castles and stone structures along with iron nails used in many of the same buildings, have properties similar to audio or video tape which have a tendency to make "recordings" of things that happen near them. The energy of these occurances imprints itself into the atmosphere of the place and cannot be erased. The materials store the energy created by these traumatic events and play them back at a later, random time. In some cases, the images have been created by events or actions that were repeated over and over again, which causes an impression. In older places like Europe, it has been suggested that the porous stones of castle walls soak up the energy and that's why there are so many haunted old buildings there. Some of the most famous hauntings appear to be residual ones. The Tower of London's ghost of Anne Boleyn and the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall are two famous examples of residual hauntings.

There is usually very little that can be done to stop this kind of haunting. This type of haunting is not dangerous at all so if you or someone you know ever has to deal with the situation, understand what is going on and realize that there is really no danger. Someone who is in this situation will have to learn to live with it or relocate.

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Haunted Lighthouses - Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse

Located at the southern end of Gasparilla Island you'll find the Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse. Right next to the lighthouse sits its twin - a building that served as the lighthouse keeper's assitant's home. Originally built in 1890, these two buildings were nearly lost to the sea. By 1970, the shoreline had been eroded by hundreds of feet and the sea was beginning to reach the lighthouse foundation. Local concern grew and the government took steps ensure the lighthouse would be around for future generations.

When phosphate was discovered several miles upriver from the lighthouse's future location in the early 1880's, the phosphate was shipped down the river on barges to Port Boca Grande and then loaded onto ocean-going vessels. Due to the increased business of the port, Congress appriated $35,000 for the construction of a lighthouse at the southern tip of Gasparilla Island in 1888, and the Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse was born.

Lighthouse keepers and their families lived and worked in the lighthouse from 1890 until 1951. The Boca Grande lighthouse served as a home for the lighthouse keeper and his family, and the twin building next to it served as home to the assistant lighthouse keeper. The keeper would take care of the light until midnight, and then his assistant would tend to the light for the rest of the night.

The Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse is thought to have two ghosts. During the lighthouse's history, the young daughter of one of the keepers died in the dwelling, most likely of diphtheria or whooping cough. Tour guides say that she can be heard playing in one of the rooms of the building's upper floor. A former park ranger who led tours of the lighthouse, often pointed to a doorway on the second floor and told visitors that it was one of the little girl's favorite places to play. the former ranger also said that at midnight, the little girl can be heard upstairs playing.

The second ghost is said to be the headless spectre of a Spanish princess named Josefa. Legend says that a Spanish pirate, Jose Gaspar (aka Gasparilla), buried his treasure in the sand close to where the Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse was to be built some ninety years later. Apparently, Gaspar fell in love with this Spanish princess he had kidnapped. She wasn't interested and when she rejected his love, he drew his sword in a fit of rage and cut off her head. Shamed by what he had done to Josefa, Gasparilla gathered up her lifeless body and buried her in the sand on the island. Unfortunately for her, his love for her was so great that he didn't want to leave her and legend says he carried his beloved's head with him for the rest of his days. Reports say that her headless spirit has been seen wandering the beach on Gasparilla Island, presumably looking for her head.

The U.S. Coast Guard automated the light in 1956. Ten years later, in 1966, the Coast Guard removed the light from the building, which was deteriorating due to neglect and beach erosion. In 1972 Lee County took over ownership of the lighthouse and surrounding 13 acres, and began a long process to save the building. Funds were raised by the Gasparilla Island Conservation Association, and the lighthouse was restored.

The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and in 1986 the lighthouse was relit and returned to service as a working Coast Guard light. In 1988 the lighthouse and surrounding land was transferred from Lee County to the State of Florida and became Gasparilla Island State Park.

The Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse is open to the public. Although it's fenced off, you can get a great view of the lighthouse from the nearby park and beach. The assistant keeper's house is now used as a house for the park ranger.

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Haunted Lighthouses - The St. Augustine Lighthouse

The St. Augustine Lighthouse sits on the north end of Anastasia Island in St. Augustine, Florida. The current tower, which was built in 1874, rises to 165 feet above sea level. The original lighthouse, built in 1824, was approximately 500 yards northeast of the current lighthouse. Due to the receding shoreline, it fell into the ocean back in 1880.

Throughout its early history, the lighthouse employed up to three lightkeepers at a time. There was a head keeper and two assistants. In 1955, when the lighthouse was automated, there was no longer a need for lightkeepers and the last one left at that time. The lightkeepers, who would actually live on site, were replaced by lamplighters, who would tend the light but didn't actually live there.

According to the lighthouse's official website, there have been seven people who have died on the lighthouse grounds: three lightkeepers, a keeper's wife and three young girls. Several of these are said to have died of natural causes. One man fell to his death from the original lighthouse in 1859, and the three girls died in a tragic drowning accident.

The lighthouse and its surrounding buildings have a long history of paranormal activity and stories of the hautings have been passed on and have been featured in popular television shows, books, and local lore for decades. Visitors and workers say they have seen moving shadows and heard voices along with unexplained sounds. Some tour guides claim they hear someone climbing the tower steps, but the footfalls fade away, and no one is ever there at the top of the tower. There is also said to be a little girl who likes to play pranks residing in the keeper's house, a tall man in the basement, and a spirit who likes to play with the merchandise in the gift shop. One former keeper was infamous for enjoying his cigars. Today, the scent of his cigar can still be detected several times a week.

Several employees have reportedly seen a hazy male figure walking through the lighthouse. Footsteps from an unseen presence can be heard shuffling on the gravel and the steps outside the lighthouse. Other reports are of a woman seen on the lighthouse stairway or walking in the yard outside the buildings.

Perhaps the most famous tragic story is that of three young girls who died during the construction of the second lighthouse. The story says that there was a rail car or some type of vehicle that went from the light station to the ocean. The children liked to play on it and ride on it for fun. On July 10, 1873, the cart somehow ended up in the water. Five children fell into the water and some of the Workers managed to save a boy and a girl. Two of the constuction superintendent's daughters, Mary and Eliza, and a young black girl, either a servant or the daughter of a worker, drowned.

It's said that today, the girls can be heard laughing in the tower late at night. The eldest of the construction superintendent's daughters, Mary, has also been spotted wearing the same blue velvet dress and blue hair bow she was wearing when she died. Reports also say that the the figures of two little girls can sometimes be seen standing on the lighthouse catwalk.

For years there have been reports of a large dark, male spirit that hangs around the water collecting cisterns in the basement. Supposedly he was a sailor or a former lightkeeper who hung himself in the lighthouse in the 1930's. According to the lighthouse's website, there isn't any proof or evidence that anyone ever hung him/herself there.

History says that the original owner of the lighthouse was forced to sell it to the government in 1865 because it was believed that the land under the lighthouse was receding and the ocean would eventually swallow it. The state offered to buy the lighthouse for alot less than it was worth and he refused to sell. The government then threatened to take the lighthouse via eminent domain and give him nothing. At this point, the former owner was outraged and vowed never to leave the lighthouse. Lighthouse staff say he seems to have kept his vow as his spirit is sometimes seen late at night walking in and around the property.

One of my favorite episodes of Ghost Hunters was filmed at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) stopped by to see if they could prove or disprove any of the hauntings. During the episode, they caught a few interesting things on both video and audio. There was a female voice that seemed to say "help me" a few times on the audio recording. The video camera captured a dark figure moving really quickly up the circular staircase and then stopping to look over the railing down at the camera crew from the top floor. The figure then disappeared. When Jason and Grant went to investigate, they realized the door at the top which would be the only exit was padlocked from the inside. There was also a motion detection light that never came on until the TAPS guys got up there. Overall, with the evidence they captured, the guys determined that they really couldn't prove the place wasn't haunted.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse is currently owned and maintained by the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Inc. The lighthouse is operational and is is an official, privately-owned, active aid to navigation. The museum is open to the public and the admission price funds preservation of the lighthouse and programs in maritime archaeology and education. The lighthouse offers night tours of the site, though they don't promise any ghosts.

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Haunted Ships - The Queen Mary

The Queen Mary has been a permanent feature in Long Beach, California for a couple fo decades and is one of the most famous cruise ships of all time. The ship has become a hotel, museum and popular tourist attraction, and the historic ship is internationally recognized and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Besides the living guests, the ship is said to play host to several ghosts. It has been speculated that the Queen Mary might be one of the most haunted places in the world. Reports say that as many as 150 known spirits have taken up residence and lurk in various locations all around the ship.

The Queen Mary sailed her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936. Built in Scotland to be used as part of a two-ship express service from Southampton to Cherbourg to New York, the Queen Mary is 1,000 feet long, and in her day was said to be bigger, faster and more powerful than the Titanic. She also held the record for the fastest-ever North Atlantic crossing. The historic ocean liner's passengers included the most celebrated people of the time, including royalty, top entertainment figures and important world leaders.

At the start of World War II in 1939, luxury travel stopped and the ship was turned into a carrier ship that was used by allied forces to carry troops from March of 1940 to September of 1946. It was during this time that she would become known as "The Grey Ghost". By the end of World War II, the ship had carried more than 700,000 troops, traveled over 500,000 miles and played a significant role in almost every major Allied campaign. She also survived a collision at sea, set the record for carrying the most people ever on a floating vessel (16,683), and participated in the D-Day invasion.

When the war ended, the Queen Mary was refurbished and started up her elegant cruises again in July, 1947, with weekly service between Southampton, Cherbourg, and New York. By the early 1960's, the popularity of transatlantic cruises greatly decreased due to the increasing affordability of air travel. The ship attempted to revive its popularity, but without central air condtioning, outdoor pools, or other amenities offered on most other cruise ships, the attempt was unsuccessful.

In 1967, the Queen Mary was pulled from service and was sold to the city of Long Beach, California, to be used as a maritime museum and hotel. On December 9, 1967, she made her final voyage to Long Beach.

During her 60-year history, the Queen Mary was the site of 49 reported deaths, opening the doorway for potential spirits to haunt her. Reported hauntings include a young crewman in the engine room, swimmers in the first-class pool, a man in black, and a woman in blue. Some of the Queen Mary's most haunted places include the propeller box, engine room, boiler room, cargo hold and first class swimming pool.

One of these hauntings is thought to be the spirit of John Pedder, a fireman in his late teens who was crushed to death by a watertight door in 1966 during a routine drill. Unexplained knocking has been heard around the door, and a tour guide reported she saw a figure dressed in dark clothing as she was leaving the area where the young man had been killed. She saw his face and recognized him from his photographs. He was dressed in blue coveralls and sporting a beard. The young man has often been seen walking along Shaft Alley before disappearing by door number 13. This famous door was used in the filming of the Posiedon Adventure and has reportedly crushed at least two men during the ship's history.

The first-class swimming pool seems to be a hot spot for ghostly encounters. Wet footprints mysteriously appear even though there's not a drop of water in the pool. These footsteps lead from the deck of the pool to the changing rooms. Women in vintage bathing suits are occasionally seen stopping by for a swim ,even though the pool has been closed for more than 30 years. There have also been reports of seeing the spirit of a young girl carrying her teddy bear along with disembodied voices, laughter and splashing sounds.

In the second class pool area the spirit of another little girl named Jackie is often been seen and heard. The girl drowned in the pool during the ship's sailing days and doesn't seem to want to move on. Her voice and the sound of laughter has been captured in this area.

In the room that was used as the third class playroom, there have been reports of the sound of children crying in the nursery room. There is also a report that a single baby's cry has been heard. This crying is thought to be that of an infant boy who died there shortly after he was born.

In some of the first-class staterooms there have been reports of a tall, dark haired man wearing a 1930's style suit showing up in various places. In addition to sightings of the man, the faucets and lights get turned on in the middle of the night, and phones ring in the early morning hours but no one is ever on the other end of the line.

There are several other reports of sightings about the ship including a beautiful young woman in an elegant white evening gown who dances alone in a shadowy corner of the salon, which was once used as the ship's first-class lounge. Another mysterious woman in white has been seen close to the front desk. She will usually disappear behind a pillar.

Other phenomena that has been reported throughout the ship include the sounds of knocking, doors slamming and high pitched squeals, drastic temperature changes, and the recurring smells of another time.

The Queen Mary has been investigated by a number of paranormal professionals, printed publications, television shows like Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted, and several others. In addition to portions of the movie "The Poseidon Adventure" being filmed there, the X-Files filmed a 1998 WWII era episode about a time warp in the Bermuda Triangle aboard the ship. That was a great episode - it was called "Triangle" - you should check it out if you missed it!

On the Ghost Hunters episode, what was thought to be a fantastic paranormal event caught on tape turned out to be not so fantastic as it appeared someone had tampered with the video camera. So is the Queen Mary really haunted or not? The Ghost Hunters are heading back out there in February of 2008 to see if they can find out. Hopefully there won't be any tampering this time and they can capture some evidence to support all the claims of paranormal activity on the Queen Mary.

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