GHOSTVILLAGE.COM NEWSLETTER #116 - June 16, 2011

Buy Books by Jeff Belanger | Jeff Belanger's Official Web site | Visit UFOvillage.com | Visit us on MySpace | Paranormal for Kids | Meet the Staff | Advertise with Ghostvillage.com

31,648 Subscribers to this newsletter!

Be sure to forward this on to your friends who are interested in the supernatural!

Picture Yourself Legend Tripping by Jeff Belanger
Picture Yourself Legend Tripping: Your Complete Guide to Finding UFOs, Monsters, Ghosts, and Urban Legends in Your Own Back Yard -- Jeff Belanger’s new book, DVD, and Web site. Enjoy the trip! http://www.legendtripping.com/


You are receiving this email because you or a friend signed you up at http://www.ghostvillage.com. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please see the instructions at the bottom.
View this newsletter online at: http://www.ghostvillage.com/newsletters/Jun16_11.htm
Dear Ghostvillagers,

Think about something. Anything. That thought is now a reality. That thought is as real as whatever electronic device on which you're reading this newsletter. Thoughts are powerful. They can change you, they can change the world too, because thoughts are contagious. When good ideas escape our brains, often other people will latch onto that thought and give it more power; they'll put a piece of themselves into it and spread it around generously. Thoughts can spurn actions, actions can spurn creations, and suddenly thoughts become something we can see, photograph, touch, and experience. Look at any great piece of architecture. It began as a single thought and evolved from there.

Stay with me here… The thought itself is reality--no question--but what if that very real thought can manifest outside of our heads and in the world? I'm not talking about a hallucination--I mean literally be there to the point where other people can see and experience this thing as well. The general term for this is a thoughtform. This is not some new idea at all.

The ancient Tibetan yogis had a word for this concept; they called it a "Tul-pa." The yogis could create and destroy their own Tul-pas at will... but sometimes the thoughtforms got away... escaped! When talking about ghosts, I wonder if these thoughtforms might explain at least a few haunting situations--especially those hauntings where a "ghost" has no basis in the history of location or the people associated with the place. Maybe this thoughtform was projected by an unknowing human creator and then given life by other sightings? All possibilities we'll be exploring more in depth this month on Ghostvillage.com. Have some thoughts on this? Join our discussion of the month!

With warmer weather, I've been getting the chance to get out to some outdoor haunts lately. I just returned from a recent legend trip to the haunted Ram Tail Factory in Foster, Rhode Island. The ruins represent another way of life: A lonely night watchman, a water-powered mill, our ancestors, our fading history. I'm glad I saw it. If you want to check out more photos from my trip, you can see them on my Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150199814184748.317918.283029759747.

Speaking of haunts… here's a big announcement for June: I'm working as a researcher for a new television project for the Travel Channel! Don't miss the debut of Paranormal Challenge hosted by Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel Friday, June 17th at 9:00 PM! I even appear as a guest judge on the Pennhurst School episode. Be sure to check out the new show--it co-stars my buddy, Dave Schrader from Darkness Radio!

And speaking of Dave Schrader, join Dave and I for a small and private investigation of one of New England's most notorious haunts: The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts. We're holding the event on two different nights: Friday, August 26th, and Saturday, August 27th. Saturday is already sold out! If you want to join us for dinner, presentations, and hours of ghost investigating/legend tripping, check out the event page here: http://www.jeffbelanger.com/lizzie/.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter below!

Supernaturally yours,

Jeff Belanger
Mayor of Ghostvillage.com

Twitter: @THEJeffBelanger
Facebook: Jeff Belanger MySpace: www.myspace.com/ghostvillager




Jeff Belanger's Upcoming Events
This is the place to find out where author and Ghostvillage.com founder Jeff Belanger will be speaking on the subject of the paranormal. If you're interested in booking Jeff for a conference or other event, please visit: http://www.jeffbelanger.com/lectures.shtml for more information.

Events Scheduled:

Legend Tripping with Jeff Belanger at the Agawam Public Library - Agawam, Massachusetts - August 1, 2011, 7:00 PM
2nd Annual Michigan Paranormal Convention - Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan - August 12-14, 2011
A Weird (Massachusetts) Evening with Jeff Belanger at Hubbard Memorial Library - Ludlow, Massachusetts - August 18, 2011, 6:00 PM
Darkness Radio's Dave Schrader and Jeff Belanger haunt Lizzie Borden's - Fall River, Massachusetts - August 26-27, 2011
Chicago Ghost Conference - Chicago, Illinois - September 30 - October 1, 2011
Central Texas Paranormal Conference - Austin, Texas - October 8-9, 2011
A Supernatural Evening with Jeff Belanger at the Billerica Public Library - Billerica, Massachusetts - October 13, 2011, 7:00 PM
A Supernatural Evening with Jeff Belanger at the Luna Gallery - North Conway, New Hampshire - October 22, 2011, 7:00 PM
A Supernatural Evening with Jeff Belanger at the Uxbridge Free Public Library - Uxbridge, Massachusetts - October 24, 2011, 7:00 PM
A Supernatural Evening with Jeff Belanger at the Middleborough Public Library - Middleborough, Massachusetts - October 29, 2011, 6:30 PM
The Stanley Hotel Cabin Fever Event - Ghost Adventures and Darkness Radio - Estes Park, Colorado - November 3-6, 2011



Monthly Contest
Congratulations to Tammy McCue, who was the May winner of an autographed copy of Jeff Belanger's book and DVD, Picture Yourself Legend Tripping and a Ghostvillage.com window sticker!

How to win: Entries will be accepted up until 5:00 PM (eastern time) tomorrow (June 17, 2011). At 5:00 PM, we will draw a winner at random from the correct entries that have been received. You no longer have to be the first, but you only have until 5:00 PM to get your answer in. If you click on this link: http://www.ghostvillage.com/index.shtml#winner, you see today's date, and "We have a winner!" that means the contest has ended. Sorry, please try again next month. To submit your entry, simply reply to this email with the correct answer.

On to this month's question: This question can be answered by reading a page on Ghostvillage.com. Remember, reply by 5:00 PM tomorrow to be eligible to win.

Who does artist Paulina Cassidy claim as her muses?

At 5:00 PM tomorrow, we will announce the winner on our home page. Good luck! (Only Ghostvillagers who have not won a prize from us in the last year are eligible.)

This month's prize: We're giving away an autographed copy of Jeff Belanger's new book and DVD, Picture Yourself Legend Tripping and a Ghostvillage.com window sticker!


Didn't win? Want to buy a copy? Click on the graphic.



Supernatural Calendar
The Supernatural Calendar is the place where thousands will learn about your events of interest to the supernatural world. The service is only available to registered members of the message boards, and it's free! Ghostvillage.com now syndicates our calendar of events so other Web sites can also display these supernatural happenings at no charge! To learn more about installing our calendar of events RSS feed, please visit our syndication page. Adding your own local events to our calendar is more important than ever!

June 25: Ghost Hunt Weekends with the Ghost Hunters
July 30: Paranormal/Psychic Faire
August 12: 2nd Annual Michigan Paranormal Convention



Spring of Culture at Ghostvillage
Over the past few months Ghostvillage Editor, Deonna Kelli Sayed brought us "Ghostvillage's Spring of Culture 2011!"

From the Desk of Deonna:
When the lights go dark... the creative juices get haunted. Ghostvillage's Spring of Culture 2011 profiled emerging artists, writers, and other creative thinkers in the paranormal community. We love all the ghost hunting shows, but they are only one segment regarding how the public approaches the supernatural. Pop culture is vibrant with creative expression, and the ghost hunting crowd is no exception. (Even Lady Gaga believes in ghosts, by the way.) Here is an impressive list of creatives who visited Ghostvillage during our festivities:

Tara Normal's H.C. Noel
Terri Garofalo of Entities-R-Us
Tarot Artist Jackie Williams
Ghost Huntress author, Marley Harbuck Gibson
The magical Paulina Cassidy
Super Dude Grant Wilson from Ghost Hunters


We hope to showcase more talent during next year's festivities!



Who's Who in the Village?
Get to know some of your fellow Ghostvillagers.

>>mastermind73<< - member since November 14, 2003

What is your name?
Jason McCale

How old are you?
33

Where do you live?
Overland Park, Kansas (Kansas City metro area).

What do you do for a living?
I am a graphic and Web designer for a local reprographics company.

What got you interested in the paranormal?
I'm not sure what originally got me interested in the paranormal. I have been fascinated with the unexplained since I was very young. I did have a few personal experiences in my teens and twenties that increased my interest in spirits specifically.

What do you think is the most credible form of paranormal evidence?
I believe that all evidence is as credible as its source. I tend to judge on a case-by-case basis what outside influences could have caused an inaccurate piece of evidence. When all the common pollutants (human error, loud noises, traffic, etc..) are removed or accounted for, any evidence can be very credible.

What's your dream ghost investigation location?
I would very much like to investigate a big, old building that has lots of activity. An old war hospital or something like that. I would love to find a location where I can get video of some apparitions and video of some objects moving on their own.

What's your favorite paranormal-themed television show?
I'll probably get torched for this, but... Ghost Hunters. I find it great entertainment and enjoy the locations that they go to amazing in many cases. Since I'll never get to see many of these places myself, I like to live vicariously.



Features
Our "Features" section is a place for editorials, research articles, open letters to our readers, and other content of interest to Ghostvillagers. If you have a topic on your mind, agree or disagree with something you read recently, we want to hear from you! For guidelines, click here.

New features added since our last newsletter:

The Haunted Dibbuk Box with Jason Haxton June 14, 2011 [WEBCAST]
Spring of Culture at Ghostvillage - Ghost Hunter's Grant Wilson June 13, 2011
The Haunted Book by Lee Prosser June 10, 2011 [SOLUMN]
Raymond Cass - EVP Pioneer by Bobby Garcia June 9, 2011
Illinois Haunts with Michael Kleen June 7, 2011 [WEBCAST]
Spring of Culture at Ghostvillage - Artist Paulina Cassidy June 2, 2011
Alien/Human Hybrids with Barbara Lamb May 31, 2011 [WEBCAST]
Spring of Culture at Ghostvillage - Author Marley Harbuck Gibson May 26, 2011
Biblical Apocalypse Prophecies with Dr. Robert M. Price May 24, 2011 [WEBCAST]
America's Strangest House by Deonna Kelli Sayed May 23, 2011



Last Month's Theme - Featured Content
Our last month's theme was the Royal Ghosts. Here's what you missed if you haven't checked in since last month:

Discussion: Tower of London, Arguably the World's Most Haunted
Discussion: Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland



Recent Encounters
We receive personal encounters from all over the world. Many are scary, some are touching, but they are always profound. If you would like to share your own experience, please click >>here<<. Since our last newsletter, we added the following new encounters:

Lady in Black -- Los Angeles, California
Sports Loving Ghost -- Surrey, United Kingdom
Lost Earthquake Ghost? -- Houston, Texas
The House of Many Spirits - Escanaba, Michigan
Comforting Presence - Sussex, England



News
This is the place to find news items on paranormal happenings around the world. If you have a news item you'd like to submit, please see our guidelines.

From the Desk of Ghostvillage News Editor Christopher Balzano
Believe in ghosts? Think your neighbor shares your ideas? The answer is not as straightforward as you might think. Despite the recent polls revealing an overwhelming belief in the paranormal (and there are always recent polls that claim the same fact) the past month and a half has been filled with signs society is not quite ready to buy into the supernatural as a nonliving, non-breathing part of our world. The thought we reported on several years ago (http://www.ghostvillage.com/news/2008/news_09212008.shtml) is still the hard fast rule. People can believe in ghosts, but trying to find them and allowing them to influence your life is a bit off.

You might have thought the tide had changed. In addition to the landslide of paranormal shows on television, the beginning of the year was marked by repeated confessions from famous people promoting their latest work by coming out on their own ghostly experiences. As recently as last week, the people behind the new X-Men movie were telling tales of shadows and weird noises on set. Despite the revelations from the likes of Ben Stiller and Lady Gaga, society is moving slowly.

One police officer in Manchester, England, believes he was fired because of his participation with a paranormal group and his criticism of the department's dismissal of witnesses' stories. A hospice is being built in a Chinese section of British Columbia, even though some residents believe its construction will stir ghosts there. A church says it cannot support local ghost tours in Morpeth, England, that speak on the hauntings in the church (the same tour seems to have suffered another setback when another haunt was torn down and built upon) and has banned them from stopping by. Are things any better in the States? Not quite. Although there have been some inroads made, there is still work to be done. Two different groups were denied access to buildings by local governments over the past month, and another was denied permission for a recreation ground they intended to use for a ghost conference.

The arguments usually stay away from actually denying the existence of ghosts or any kind of conflict of beliefs. Authorities usually site not wanting to put people in harm's way or the need for the modern to replace the worn out. In other words, they're not saying the paranormal doesn't exist, they just don't want it in their town.

Take heart, though. There are still plenty of tours to see across this country and across the pond. Conferences are still being held despite the economic downturn, and there is still a class in an adult education center near you that will teach you local haunted places and how to look for ghosts. And, of course, evidence keeps coming in and making it onto your local, nightly newscast. That will have to be enough for now, and the benefit to these is they will help you find people with similar beliefs and enough of a pull to do something about it. For now we'll just consider everyone else late to the party.

5th Annual Paranormal Meet and Greet to be held in Indianapolis
School accidents result of chance, not hauntings Global Times Gaozhou, Guangdong Province, China- May 24, 2011 [EXTERNAL NEWS]
Demons take over Mdzimba High The Swanzi Observer Dlangeni, Swaziland - May 19, 2011 [EXTERNAL NEWS]
Ghost photo phone suddenly quits working Times and Transcript Moncton, Canada- May 17, 2011 [EXTERNAL NEWS]

WANT THESE HEADLINES ON YOUR SITE FOR FREE? Syndicate our news! If you have a Web site or blog, you can syndicate our news feeds to your site for free. Join the growing list of Web sites who carry our news by visiting our syndication page.



Hot Threads and the Ghostvillage.com Community
In the past month, hundreds of new people registered for free to join our supernatural discussion! Have you?

If you have registered for our message boards but haven't validated your account yet, it's simple to do! Look for the email that was automatically sent to you when you registered and click on the account activation link in the email (note: some bulkmail filters may block this email, so you'll need to check your bulkmail folder if the validation email didn't immediately come through). There are always great discussions going on in our huge message board community. We hope you'll get involved. It's free to register if you're not already a member. Here are some of the hot topics this month:

Personal Encounters
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=32204
House is getting freakier day-by-day.

Evidence Alley
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=32168
A picture of my dad.

Paranormal Equipment
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=32160
TriField Natural EM meter.

Paranormal Media
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=32069
Discuss SyFy's newest show, Haunted Collector.

Spirit Communication
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=12647
Some practical steps to follow while communicating with the other side.

What Is Your Idea of God?
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=31020
A discussion to share how you define God.

The End of the World - a Discussion
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=32162
I'm confused... just when is the world ending?

Urban Legends, Myths and Folklore
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=32205
Dead alien found in Siberia video.

Prejudice and Bias in Science
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=31663
Why does science reject spookology?


Board of the Month -- Thoughtforms
http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showforum=27
Are some ghosts or other paranormal creatures just a projection of our conscious minds?


Ghostvillage.com Advertising Opportunities
Each month Ghostvillage.com reaches tens of thousands of people interested in the paranormal. We offer the most effective and best-valued advertising and sponsorship packages of any paranormal media outlet. Please visit: http://www.ghostvillage.com/advertising.htm for details.

If you're ready to put Ghostvillage.com to work for your company or organization, send us an email to get started.


Ghostvillage.com Quick Stats:
316,917 Posts in the Town Square Message Boards
29,521 Members in the Town Square
1,037 "Personal Encounters" published on Ghostvillage.com
1,686 Paranormal Web sites in the Ghost Links directory
33,626 Subscribers to this newsletter
3,899,001 Total Web site "hits" for Ghostvillage.com in May


Support Ghostvillage.com
Ghostvillage.com is the Web's largest supernatural community, the central place where people come to share their experiences, thoughts, and research. Please help us continue to grow by buying a copy of The World's Most Haunted Places, Communicating With the Dead, The Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, The Nightmare Encyclopedia, Our Haunted Lives, Ghosts of War, The Ghost Files, Weird Massachusetts, Who's Haunting the White House?, The Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, Picture Yourself Legend Tripping or shopping in Ghost-Mart. Every little bit helps run our servers and helps the site get bigger and better! Please also click on our banner ads and support our advertisers -- when you do business with someone who advertises with Ghostvillage.com, let them know you saw their ad with us and thank them for the support.

Please email us anytime at info@ghostvillage.com. Your comments, questions, and feedback are always welcomed.


All material is © 2011 Ghostvillage.com
REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS: To be removed from the mailing list, please go to www.ghostvillage.com/subscribe.shtml or click on the link below.