Luis—Paranoia

WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE

History of the Twisted Labyrinth

DON’T WEAR JUST ANY SHEETS IN THE AFTERLIFE

Letter From the Editor

Hello readers! In this issue of Paranoia we talk about the essentials you will need as a beginneer ghost hunter. Nest we head to Mexico and explore an island that is covered with creepy dolls where a little girl drowned. Then we had to the twisted Winchester mystery house. With doors that lead to nowhere and hallways that never end we discover the past of the house. Hope you enjoy the read!

Catch Casper with Your New Tools

ONVOY GHOST BOX COMMUNICATOR

Designed specifically for paranormal investigations, this device presents entities with a simple and flexible way to communicate with us. Onvoy offers the ability to deliver words, phrases, numbers, emotions and yes or no answers through a uniquely simple, trans parent and documentable method.

Features

Offers ghosts an easy way to communicate

Displays words, numbers, yes/no and icons

Scans environment for spikes in EMF, temperature and touch

Lighted display, indicator lights and audio alert

Full control over sensors, speed and sensitivity

Rechargeable, long lasting batter

PRICE: $459.95

PHASM CAM

The Phasm Cam is a 4K full spectrum and night vision recording camera for ghost hunters. In fact, this cam was designed and made right here at GhostStop with investigators in mind. We have taken our years of experience ghost hunting to build the best low-light camcorder with features we’ve always wanted. The camera cap tures video in ultra high definition (4K) and in full spectrum, making it perfect for use in low-light or no-light situations. In addition to its exceptional recording quality, the Phasm Cam is also built to inte grate with other vital ghost hunting equipment. For instance, this versatile camcorder snaps directly to the Phasm Light.

Features

4K Ultra HD Resolution — that’s 4x the quality of 1080p!

Exposure boost captures brighter shots in low light.

Records in total darkness with built-in IR light for night vision.

Compatible with other handy ghost hunting tools.

Live View: spectate in real-time on your phone or tablet via Wi-Fi.

Unlimited Power! Plugs into power or USB battery.

Wide selection of mounting capabilities (many included!).

Wide-angle lens to maximize the amount evidence you capture.

Rechargeable and replaceable battery –- swap them out as needed!

PRICE: $179.95

GS2 LASER GRID SYSTEM

The next evolution of our first major product, the GS2 now com bines our original laser grid projection system with an array of multiple precision sensors. This empowers you to shed light on more information about an entity than ever before. An expansive, red-laser grid provides data relating to speed, direction, dimensions, and even temperature! Best of all, the GS2 is built and designed right here at GhostStop! Our veteran investigators have a passion building thorough, quality detection devices for any ghost hunt — even in the dark.

Features Projects a red, grid-pattern laser to identify visual disturbances.

Detects environmental changes within the laser-mapped area using multiple sensors.

Perceives motion, distance, direction, and temperature fluctuations. Conducts readings to establish a foundation for your investigation. Indicates readings on multiple displays for superior clarity.

Finetune your targeting with a sensitivity slider control switch. Identifies the number of occurrences and characteristics with an event counter.

Establishes dimensions, shape, and speed for aid in 3D modeling. Alerts you to changes with audible sounds — or not, with on/off speaker switch.

Secures to common tripods for easy directional placement. Keeps you in the field for longer with a rechargeable battery that boasts 4x the life!

Get back into action sooner with a USB-compatible charger.

PRICE: $359.95

EVP SPIKE SENSOR

‘See’ EVP and audio spikes as they happen. Now you can visualize when audio spikes are happening as they occur and mark them for evidence. This sound sensor utilizes a sensitive on-board micro phone to detect audio spikes and translates it to a lighted display. The lighted graph is colored in a range from green to red indicating loudness along a lighted display ring. It then marks these spikes with an indicator for documenting. It’s simple to use, easy to see and lasts a long time.

Features

Built in microphone for sound detection

Color light display to indicate loudness

Spike detection and marking feature

Compact and lightweight design

Rechargeable long-lasting battery Displaying sound in colored light

PRICE: $99.95

Tallbott, Tennessee

Frightmare Manor

By Meghan Kraft

The History: This property, originally owned by Jeremiah Lexer has a history shrouded in true terror that has literally dripped in innocent blood. We are only now beginning to uncover the many layers of twisted horror this land has hidden for so many years. Recently, historical records, eyewitness sightings, and documented events, culminating in the 2001 closing of the popular restaurant located here, have only added to the plantation’s spine-ripping history. Due to its horrifying past, no contemporary business or family has touched this land for nearly a decade as the backwoods, barns, and the Manor itself were abandoned and left to ruin…The true terror of over 100 years ago continues to echo throughout this abandoned plantation. Over the decades, History has become Legend and Legend has become Myth. Currently serving as a seasonal haunted house, Frightmare Manor has seen atrocities far greater than any animatronic or set design that could be put together for Halloween. This small-statured dwelling was once the home to a lesserknown serial killer whose murderous rampage lasted from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. During that time, some estimate he took the lives of nearly 100 people, including his own families. The body remnants of all 6 family members were found scattered inside the Manor, but what made these murders truly sickening were the unintelligible phrases smeared on the walls, written with the blood.

Haunted Appeal: Needless to say, a wide variety of spirits are said to haunt the home and its surrounding property. So much so that the restaurant that took residence here had to shut down from rampant paranormal attacks and unavoidable ghostly activity. Lexer’s schizophrenia and bipolarism had consumed his mind. After his final bloodfeast, he walked up the same wooden staircase inside the Manor today, placed the bloody ax on the mantle, and jumped, head first, to his death, out of the 2nd floor window. This 2nd floor window currently faces present day Highway 11-E and has been chosen as the entrance to Frightmare Manor. Jeremiah Lexer’s body was buried on the east portion of the property and every year, dozens of visitors nationwide travel to Talbott, TN to visit his grave site. It’s said that the hallucinations of Lexer’s psychotic mind and the very images of his demented thoughts can still be seen on the property. Have you ever seen inside the mind of a true psychotic killer? Countless spirits and unexplained entities have been detected and even visually seen by Paranormal Investigators and employees over the years alike. Take a step back into history and see for yourself as we unchain the gates of this historic plantation and allow the general public to explore the dark corners of the property. Your worst fears are around every corner. Be on guard and be mindful of your surroundings because no one can hear you scream once inside…

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Learn how investigtors choose the right tools for the ghost hunt at hand, even if that sometimes means using no equipment at all.

elieve it or not, the act of ghost hunting or finding

ghosts isn’t a new thing. It’s a practice rooted in our past, the earliest hunts recorded in the 19th century by the SPR or the Society for Physical Research. Formally created in 1882 they claim to be “the first society to conduct organized scholarly research into human experiences that challenge contemporary scientific models.”1 In fact you could call the 19th century the true spiritual revolution, due to the many technological leaps. Such as, the telegraph and radio. In our day and age most of our technology has advanced far far away from our original inventions back in the day, including what we’d use to hunt down ghosts. But we still love to look into our history. If you come on one of our ghost hunts, here are some of the tools you’ll be using and the history behind them.

What’s a spirit box? A spirit, Ghost, or “Franks” box is a device that quickly jumps through AM radio channels, creating a white noise effect. That effect allows spirits or ghosts to communicate by altering energy to create words and phrases. It’s said that clear phrases and responses can be heard while sometimes even intelligent responses can be made out. The spirit box was created in 2002 by Frank Sumption thus the name “franks box.” Frank made a total of 180 boxes and distributed them to whoever he saw fit to “Hear the voice.” Today there are only 97 originals in existence. So how do you use a spirit box? It’s as easy as turning it on and allowing it to skip through the radio stations, you can play around with it and get used to how it sounds and feels. After a

while you may hear little sounds and different words but don’t be discouraged if you can’t make out sentences or responses, seasoned ghost hunters will tell you it took lots and lots of tries before they were able to effectively communicate.

Dowsing Rods

What are dowsing rods? Dowsing rods are rods or sticks traditionally shaped in an L used to find anything from water, jewels, dead bodies, and in our case communicate with and find ghosts. The word Dowsing means “a technique for searching for underground water, minerals, or anything invisible, by observing the motion

of a pointer (traditionally a forked stick, now often paired bent wires) or the changes in direction of a pendulum, supposedly in response to unseen influences.” Your rods will react to the energy in the environment and the energy you’re giving off, allowing them to reflect and guide you to something or answer questions. So how do you use a dowsing rod? Hold one in each hand and take a deep breath, the best way to start is by asking permission (“May I start dowsing?”) and then asking questions you know the answer to. Get accustomed to how the rods feel and how they move/respond to questions. Then go find some ghosts!

EMF Radars

What are EMF Radars? EMF Radars are most often used to find faults in electrical wiring and power lines. An EMF radar will find moving electrical charges and the magnetic field created by said charges. The cool thing is it can differentiate moving between stationary so it’ll avoid picking up things like the earth’s magnetic field. So how do you use an EMF Radar? Walk around and wait for the machine to read spikes in energy. Once you’ve been using the box for a while it may even respond to questions! But careful for false readings, the machine could pick up things

like your cell phone so it’s wise to get accustomed to the box to make sure you’re using it to its maximum potential before asking questions. The best way to use these special machines and devices is just to get used to them and use repetition! Any lover of ghost hunting will tell you they weren’t perfectly communicating with ghosts their first second or even fifth time. That’s what our fabulous experienced guides are there for!

Laser Grid

This sensor systemprojects a laser grid onto a space,which will reflect any disruptions by unseen entities that come into contact with it. Think of it like a physical

manifestation of the sensor mapping that an SLS camera provides, but which also tracks distance and temperature changes and helps you visualize an entity in three dimesions .Now that you know about some of the devices we use and the history behind them, why not come and try them out! Come book with one of our lovely paranormal investigators and find some ghosts for yourself.

Thermal Camera

At one time, a thermal camera was the most coveted piece of paranormal investigation equipment. That’s mostly because of its price, but also the quality of evidence it can capture. If you

capture the thermal image of a human shape or some sort of globule, and you are certain it isn’t a thermal reflection or your own thermal radiance, that’s a pretty fantastic piece of evidence. With the advent of phone attachments and cheaper pricing on camera units, thermal cameras have become a more accessible piece of equipment than it once was. Do not use thermal imaging smartphone apps. Typically, they are not true thermal images. Rather, they’re usually just a theatrical overlay. One of the oddest and most distinct ways to identify when a ghost has appeared is a noticeable, if not drastic, drop in ambient room or

air temperature. Just as with many facets of the supernatural, there is a great deal of speculation as to why this happens, but the most widely held belief is tied to the one I mentioned above: Ghosts need energy to show themselves, so they may take the energy right out of the air. Since this phenomenon is usually fairly localized, a recording device that measures temperature will be a key piece of gear. The cameras allow you to see the temperatures of the room, objects, and anything else in gradient color: Blue is cold, Red is hot, so you’ll be able to “see” and record the temperature changes, helping you to zero-in on active zones.

Sound Recorders

Some ghosts never manifest themselves visually. Many

people report hearing voices and other sounds, many of these at the edge of human perception. It’s for this reason that many investigators carry voice recorders. What I like about this Olympus VN-541PC Digital Voice Recorder is that it can detect ultra-low-frequency sounds down to 40 Hz, so you’ll be able to record sounds that you can’t even hear, as well as ultra-highfrequency sounds; plus, it has 2GB of internal memory so you’ll be able to catch a lot in a single night.

Lights

While you’ll most likely want to do most of your setting up during the day, you’re still going to need to do some work in the dark. I recommend a headlight as your primary light, so you can keep

both hands free. Of all the options you have, my favorite is this Fenix Flashlight HP25R Rechargeable Headlamp, because it offers variable output from a low of 4 lumens up to a blazing 1000 lumens, plus a low-output red LED. The red allows you to use it in the dark without affecting your night-adjusted vision, so you can use the white light at any output for setting up and navigating, then switch to the red when it’s time to start your investigation. I also like that the battery compartment is separate from the light head and situated on the back of the strap— this distributes the weight evenly, and the relieves neck strain that can occur when all the weight is forward, pulling your head downward.

HOTEL ROOSEVELT

The Hollywood Roosevelt is steps away from Hollywood’s most popular destinations. Spend more time with us so you can see it all. More info on thehollywoodroosevelt.com

ISLAND OF THE DOLLS

An island filled with hundreds of hanging, decomposing, decapitated dolls

By Ken Shuster

Over fifty years ago, Don Julian Santana left his wife and child and moved onto an island on Teshuilo Lake in the Xochimilco canals. According to some, a young girl actually drowned in the lake, while most others, including his relatives, say Don Julian Santana merely imagined the drowned girl. Regardless, Don Julian Santana devoted his life to honoring this lost soul in a unique, fascinating, and—for some—unnerving way: he collected and hung up dolls by the hundreds. Eventually, Don Julian transformed the entire island into a kind of bizarre, (for some) horrifying, doll-infested wonderland.

Don Julian Santana began collecting lost dolls from the canals and the trash near his island home. He is also said to have traded produce he grew to locals for more dolls. Santana did not clean up the dolls or attempt to fix them, but rather put them up with missing eyes and limbs, covered in dirt, and generally in whatever ramshackle state he found them in. Even when dolls arrived in good shape, the wind and weather turned them into cracked and distorted versions of themselves. Don Julian also kept his cabin filled with the dolls, which he dressed in headdresses, sunglasses, and other accoutrement. Despite the fact that most people found the isle frightening, Don Julian saw the dolls as beautiful protectors, and he welcomed visitors, whom he would show around, charging a small fee for taking photos.

In 2001 Don Julian Santana was found drowned in the same area in which he believed the little girl had died.

A native of Xochimilco, a borough of Mexico City, Don Julian left his wife and family sometime in the mid-20th century to sequester himself on an island on Teshuilo Lake. His reasons for doing so are hazy at best, but as soon became clear, Santana Barrera was not necessarily of sound mind. Not long after relocating, he made a chilling discovery on the shores of his island: the body of a young girl, drowned

in the lake. A doll came floating down the canals shortly afterward, changing the course of Santana Barrera’s life and the shape of the island for years to come. Alone on the island, Barrera took the doll and hung it from a tree in order to appease the spirit of the deceased girl. But, at least in the eyes of the man who now considered himself the island’s caretaker, the one doll was not enough. For the next 50 years, Santana Barrera would scrounge dolls from the trash and from the canals, and hang them from the island’s many trees. Some he’d hang whole, others in various states of disrepair — headless, torso-less, or taken apart in other actions of a person with a healthy grasp on reality, and indeed, there are many doubts surrounding this legend. The biggest question? The reality of the little girl who died. Many people, including Don Julian’s own family, didn’t believe that he ever found the girl, although whether they believe he made it up, imagined the experience, or was somehow mistaken is whether the girl existed or not, Don Julian devoted the rest of his life to her. And perhaps creepiest of all, even the end of his life had clear ties to the story of the drowned child. In 2001, Don Julian Santana Barrera passed away. His body was discovered — you guessed it — drowned in the canal, in the exact place he always said he’d seen the little girl. In response, tourists began flocking to the island to pay tribute. They brought dolls of their own, and to this day people honor both Santana Barrera and the girl (whether she was real or not) by hanging up dolls in tribute. You can do so too. Many ferries stop here, making it a macabre must-see on any tour of these ancient Aztec canals. La Isla de las Muñecas is currently in the care of Anastasio Santana Velasco — Barrera’s nephew.

In the last two decades, boat tours in Mexico City

have popped up to take visitors to the Island of the Dolls. Though Barrera saw his collection as an assortment of beautiful protectors, a fair amount of tourists find the island bizarre and terrifying.

The creepy atmosphere sets in during the boat ride, which is part of a four-hour round trip that costs $75. Though the excursion begins with a winding ride through lush greenery and chirping birds, the growing amount of lily pads slow the boat down as the island draws closer.

From pelicans and kingfishers to egrets and plenty of water snake species, the ride showcases the beauty at the heart of the jungle — until the island appears. For professional photographer Cindy Vasko, La Isla de las Muñecas was the “creepiest place” she ever visited. In the 1950s, Don Julián Santana Barrera decided to abandon his family and live alone on the arable sliver of uninhabited land on Teshuilo Lake. The island’s new caretaker occasionally ventured to the neighboring Barrio de la Asunción to sell his vegetables and enjoy the popular pulque — an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the agave plant.

However, his evergrowing superstitions led him to start preaching the Bible around town. Eventually, the sector expelled him, and he remained on his island.

One day, Barrera came upon the dead body of a drowned girl and her doll. Superstitious and deeply religious, he grew fearful that the dead girl’s spirit haunted the island. He decided to hang her doll up on a tree to appease her potentially vengeful soul and started a habit he wouldn’t break for the rest of his life. To keep the girl’s spirit content, Barrera retrieved dolls that had washed up in the lilies of the canal and saved them from the garbage wherever he went. These discarded dolls were hanged up across the island in whatever ramshackle state he found them in.

According to some stories, Barrera was increasingly haunted by a girl whispering, “I want my doll” and

footsteps in the dead of night. While it’s unknown what exactly he experienced in his hut, in the thick of the jungle miles away from civilization, one thing is terrifyingly certain.

Barrera was found dead in 2001 — drowned in the same spot he reported finding the dead girl and her doll nearly 50 years before. The legend of Don Julian Santana Barrera’s dolls remains fairly disputed. His relatives believe that the story was merely an evocative backdrop to give his efforts an intriguing allure. Others believe a girl did drown there — and that she haunted him

Whether or not the frightening tales are true, the entire island still boasts dolls today in various states of decay. As evidenced by the dirt-covered surfaces and eroding materials, Barrera never cared to clean or fix the dolls. He welcomed them as they were and hung them up with missing eyes or torn limbs, and they’ve since endured years of weather and continuous wearand-tear.

Barrera also maintained a cabin filled with dolls that he would dress up in headdresses and sunglasses to a whole roster of other accessories.

As word of the mysterious island began to spread, curious visitors would make their way to Barrera’s little kingdom, where he welcomed them with open

Once he realized that visitors were willing to pay a small fee for a guided tour, this bizarre site grew popular. And after Barrera himself was found dead in 2001 in the same spot he claimed to have found a dead girl 50 years earlier, it grew into the commercial hotspot it is today.

In the last two decades, boat tours in Mexico City have popped up to take visitors to the island and a fair amount of tourists find the island bizarre and terrifying.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Located in the Xochimilco borough 17 miles south of the center of Mexico City. Best way to get there is to leave from Embarcadero Cuemanco. It’s four hours round trip and cost $1,400 MEX or roughly $75 US dollars. Keep an eye out for some of the wildlife during your boat trip. Commonly seen creatures include pelicans, king fishers, egrets, and several species of water snakes

AIRFARES SO LOW IT’S FRIGHTENING!

WInchester Mystery House

BY PAUL JOSEPH

Over the course of 40 years, Sarah Winchester had the so-called Winchester Mystery Mansion built in San Jose to her bizarre specifications — in order to appease the ghosts she thought were haunting her.

In 1886 an eccentric woman named Sarah Winchester trav eled from New Haven, Con necticut, to San Jose, California, to start a new life. She purchased a small eight-room farmhouse and started a small renovation project that would take 36 years and $5.5 million (in the money of the time), only stop ping when she passed away in 1922.

By the time she was done, the Winchester Mansion was a mod ern marvel with indoor plumbing, multiple elevators, a hot shower, and central heating. It had over 160 rooms and 40 bedrooms, 10,000 windows, and even 2 basements. Of course, that’s not all that’s unique about the house. Not all the 2,000 doors can be walked through—one leads to an 8-foot drop to a kitchen sink,

another to a 15-foot drop into bush es in the garden below. Staircases lead straight to ceilings, expensive Tiffany stained-glass windows were installed in places where they would get no light, and there are more secret passages than Nar nia. A particularly odd delight is a cabinet that, when opened, extends through 30 rooms of the house.

No one is quite sure why Mrs. Winchester demanded constant changes to her very large house. Of course, there are stories.

The most prevalent story is that Mrs. Winchester was being haunt ed by the spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifle, which her late husband’s company had invented. After her husband passed away, a psychic told her that to evade the spirits, she would have to move out west, buy a home, and build nonstop. Some theories say she be lieved that as soon as construction was complete, she would die, while other theories suggest she built the house like a maze in order to keep her paranormal tormentors at bay and lost in the many intricacies of the building. As the theory goes, to avoid them she would sleep in a different bedroom every night and take labyrinthine paths through her own home.

A massive earthquake struck the Bay Area in 1906 and toppled the top three stories of the house, damaging the other four stories along with it. Some say Sarah Winchester took this as a sign from the spirits that she was too close to

completion and ordered the unfin ished front half of the house to be boarded up. Though it’s open now, signs of damage The Bay Area has its share of legends. However, none are quite as strange as the story of the Winchester Mystery House, which is now back open, offering many ways for you to explore in person. from the earthquake are still clearly visible.

In response to the ongoing claims of ghostly encounters and other paranormal phenomena on the property, in the early 1990s the Winchester management had a parapsychologist and paranormal investigator named Christopher Chacon conduct a full-scale sci entific assessment of the property. The month-long, round-the-clock investigation included interview ing over 300 people regarding their experiences on the property, and analyzed every aspect of the environment for any unusual phe nomena. In 2018, a horror film was made about the infamous house

and the spirits that live within. The Winchester Mystery House can be found in San Jose, which is about an hour south of San Francisco. If you want to take in some of the other activities available in San Jose, you may wish to rent a car for the trip. Otherwise, public transpor tation can get you there. Caltrain will take you from San Francisco to the Santa Clara Transit Center, where you can board a bus to the Winchester and Olsen stop. Walk or hail a ride about two miles to the Winchester Mystery House.

SARAH WINCHSTER

Know Before You Go

A Mansion Tour ($20-39), Explore More Tour ($20-$39), and Garden Tour (free) are all available. (The Explore More tour is not avail able for children under nine.) There are also Flashlight Tours around Halloween and every Friday the 13th. The Winchester Antiques Products Museum and the Winchester Fire arms Museum are also housed on site.

“The shadows that follow me, they have unfinished business.”