Magazine
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Dream Codes Magazine is about exploring and finding spiritual truth in dreams, the paranormal, and in religious concepts and ideas. We consider it the alternative to organized religion. T. McGovern & L. Titus Proofread by V. DeVore
Contents Page 5 - Are Graveyards Haunted? Page 8 - Ghost Orbs. Page 11 - Titanic’s Ghost’s. Page 14 - Do You Have a Past Life? Page 19 - A Night at Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Page 24 - Haunting At The Cage. Page 26 - The Ouija Board.
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Our Paranormal Issue Welcome to this month’s issue of Dream Codes Magazine. People have become so infatuated with the supernatural that we decided to include more paranormal articles in our October issue than usual. On average, 30% of our monthly Dream Codes Magazine is about paranormal things, and the other 70% is an assortment of spiritual/self-help articles. However, because October is the spookiest month of the year, we thought you might enjoy more spooky articles than normal. Try not to let them scare you too much. We are not responsible for your lack of sleep or nightmares. Sit back and enjoy this paranormal issue of Dream Codes Magazine. Thank you, Leon Titus
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BOO If I were a ghost, I tell you what I’d do I’d haunt you every night, while whispering, BOO I’d try to chase you out; because this place is mine` Uneasiness and discomfort is all you would find. I’d turn off all the lights then I’d turn them back on I would move around your things, every time you were gone. Floating through the halls I would make myself known You would see an apparition whenever you’re alone I’d sneak up behind you when you least expect The hair would stand up on the back of your neck I may show up as an Orb, or a very cold spot A figment of your imagination, you can bet I am not Spooking you all night, is what I’d love most And that’s what I would do, if I were a Ghost Leon Titus 4
Are Graveyards Haunted?
By Leon Titus
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here’s nothing like an evening stroll through a beautiful old cemetery. In my hometown in eastern Iowa, we have several very large old cemeteries with lots of trees. In the late afternoon, you will see scores of people walking through them talking about the dates on the headstones and simply enjoying the beauty and peaceful feelings that surrounds them. Yet, as the evening turns into night, the graveyard becomes empty and even more quiet and peaceful. That’s because the people leave the cemeteries before the sun goes down. Even though a cemetery may be a place of beauty in the day, no one wants to be in graveyard after dark. After all, isn’t that when the spooks come out? 5
Well, regardless of what you may have seen in the Thriller video or in some Hollywood movie, there are no zombies walking around in graveyards under a full-moon after dark. In fact, most graveyards aren’t even haunted. People seem to think that just because there are hundreds of lifeless bodies, 6ft in the ground on ten acres of land, it has to be haunted. However, most of the time, this is not the case. I have studied the paranormal for many years, and I have been on many ghost hunts. One of the first things I learned was, few ghost have any reason to go to, or hang around a cemetery. I’m not saying there are no graveyard ghosts; I’m just saying that there aren’t as many as you may think. Most people that stay around
after death as a ghost usually stay in one place. That place is usually the place where they died, or a place that meant a lot to them while still alive. Few ghosts want, or need, to live in a graveyard. Yet, now and then you will come across a spooky old graveyard with rumors of lights and apparitions being seen, or voices being heard after dark. So then why would a cemetery be haunted at all? Few people die in a graveyard, and there’s really not much action going on there. It’s because ghosts that haunt cemeteries are only there for a good reason. Most ghosts in graveyards are looking for something or someone. Ghosts are often times very confused; they may suspect they are dead, yet are not sure about it. They may go to their family cemetery looking for their own grave. Again, depending on the mindset of the deceased, they may have lost a child in real life, and could be trying to find the grave, or their child’s spirit. 6
It’s well known in the paranormal community that ghosts can often times be confused, yet a lot depends on the way the deceased died, along with their mind set at the time of death. If they passed away in their sleep, death could seem as a dream to them. If they died suddenly, they may be trying to grasp why no one can see or hear them. If they were drinking strong drink before death, they may not even suspected they have passed away. So the next time you go on a paranormal investigation, a cemetery may not be the most active place to hunt. However, a friend of mine did tell me about something he saw while looking out the window of his house next to a cemetery. He said he was simply looking out of the window, when he saw a round orb of light come down from the sky. It stopped over the top of a grave, circled it a few times, and went back up. I also saw on the TV show, My Ghost Story, a lady that went to a graveyard which she heard was haunted, to get paranormal evidence. She set her voice recorder down on a tombstone and walked away, hoping to capture a voice. When she returned to the grave, her recorder was gone.
Another thing that could cause a cemetery to be haunted is the history of the land itself. It may have been a place of ancient worship, a place where people lived and died, or even a place of harnessed energy as in something tragic that happened long ago. The earth has been around for a long time. A lot of things may have happened on that ground 100s or even 1000s of years ago. Written history can only take us back, just so far; so the possibilities are endless. One other thing to remember is, energy shifts and ghosts do move around now and then, of course a lot depends on the deceased. Believe it or not, some ghosts do travel. I’ve seen this happen in homes. A friend of mine put up a house on land where cornfields use to be. All was good until a while back. Suddenly she had a ghost. Good for her it only stuck around for a couple months before moving on. So as we see, graveyards can be haunted; yet it may be hard to tell where the feelings and noises are coming from. It could simply a residual haunting; the left over energy caused by something that happened long ago, or a sudden tragedy. This happens a lot in haunted houses; it’s the same apparition doing the same thing over and over, day after day, and night after night. The spirit of that person may not even be there; it’s just left over energy, like the negative of a picture, like the smell of a fire; the fire may be gone but it takes time for the smell to dissipate. It’s like an imprint on the environment in that area.
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Never the less, the next time you take a stroll through the cemetery on a beautiful autumn night; there’s no reason to be afraid. Remember, ghosts are people too. Graveyard photos are from https://www.facebook.com/CorinnaM.H ypes.Images?ref=stream
By Leon Titus
What paranormal investigator hasn’t caught an orb in at least one photograph at every investigation? While a new ghost hunter may be convinced he or she has just caught spirit energy in a picture, the more mature investigator is not so convinced. There is no doubt about it, if you take your digital camera out on a dark night, in a creepy old place, you will catch orbs in several pictures. However, if you go to a not so creepy place on a dark night, you will still get orbs in your photographs. That is because most orbs in pictures are not spirit energy. Whether you are snapping photos indoors or outdoors, most orbs caught in pictures are easily explained away. That is not to say that energy orbs don’t exist, but they are not caught in photos as often as you may think. So what are those round balls of light that are in your pictures, and why are people so sure they are signs of a ghost? I think a lot of the excitement about orbs in photos comes from not seeing something with your naked eye yet seeing it in a picture you have 8
just taken. Perhaps it’s the mystery of it all? However, to understand the whole “orb in photos” thing, we have to take off our paranormal glasses and see the facts. Here is a list of things that reflect light and can cause the orb effect in photos. After you look at this list, I’m sure that you will be a little less excited about orbs in your pictures, but you will understand why they are there.
Things That Can Cause False Ghost Orbs. Bugs: Usually the shinier types, like beetles. Water/Mist/Humid nights Shiny paint on walls and buildings. Metal objects Dust Scotch tape on walls Mirrors Nail heads and tacks on walls. Any liquids or food that gets splattered on anything, especially walls.
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This is a list of the most common things that will give you an orb effect in pictures. However, orbs can be caused by anything that reflects light. The camera angle is what makes the difference. Just 1 inch in either direction can eliminate or give an orb effect. With a mirror in the room, you may receive all sorts of shapes in a photo. Most false ghost orbs have the same kind of see-through smudgy-like shapes through them. Often times, the shapes or lines in them may look like faces, so are thought to be real ghost orbs. However, the human mind feels a need to make sense of the shapes it sees in the orb, therefore seeing eyes, mouths, and sometimes, whole faces. You are more likely to get these in a dusty area. All you have to do is stir up some dust and snap a few photos to see the proof. These are also very common in humid areas. When ghost hunters go to cemeteries in the summer and snap photos, they may see hundreds of orbs in one picture. This can be caused by the humidity in the air. Even the bugs are wet, and the trees get shiny from the water. Anywhere there is water present, you will get false ghost orbs in your photos.
Now let’s look at real spirit energy. How can you tell if you have a real ghost orb in a photo? As a general rule, any orb that you can’t see through or generates its own light, could be real spirit energy. To the trained eye of a seasoned ghost hunter, it is fairly simple to tell the difference, but to the amateur it can be confusing. I found that most spirit energy orbs are bright like a light bulb, and move as though they are intelligent, like they know their mission. You will usually only catch one of these in any given photo, whereas with the false ghost orbs you may catch 50 to 100. However, in a house you may only catch one false ghost orb. A single bug flying around, a protruding nail-head sticking out, a piece of scotch tape on the wall, or something else shiny for light to reflect off of, can
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appear as a single orb. Even seasoned paranormal investigators can mistake a false ghost orb for a real one. There are times that telling the difference between the two can be tough. Like I said, most of it depends on the camera angle, and sometimes even the power of the flash on the camera. Some camera flashes are much brighter than others. You can find many photos of orbs on the internet. It would be my suggestion to simply scroll through them, and see all the different types of orbs caught in photos in different locations. Once you do, you will quickly see the difference between real ghost orbs and false ones.
Titanic’s Ghost’s
By Leon Titus On April 15th of 2013 we observed the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Everyone knows the story of that ship and how in 1912 during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City, it hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. There have been all sorts of movies, 11
books, and documentaries published and produced about that night and the more than 1,500 people that lost their lives as a result of human error. It will be remembered as one of the worst disasters in modern history. Although it is commonly accepted and believed that those souls that perished on the Titanic went on to a
better place, as a minister and Paranormal Investigator, I’m not so sure that is true. Where are those souls that perished that April night? I believe that some of them could still be sailing on the Titanic.
When it comes to death, as a minister, it’s easy for me to look at things from a more religious or Heavenly point of view. However, the paranormal investigator in me tends to see things from a different perspective. Although I am sure of a Heaven, I am also sure of Ghosts. I know for a fact that somehow, someway, some people get temporarily stuck here after death. This has been proven by the many photos, recordings and personal experiences people have acquired over time. Although Psychics and Paranormal investigators have their theory about why this happens, no one really knows for sure.
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From my past experiences as a Paranormal Minister, I once heard the number of people that had died on the Titanic, and I had to believe that some of those people stayed behind as Ghosts. I got to thinking about the investigations I’ve been on and the many Ghosts I have encountered. If out of a hand full of people that have lived in a house you often times end up with one or two Ghosts, I see it very likely that out of over 1,500 that died tragically on the Titanic, there has to be several if not many Ghosts. The Titanic was filled with all types of people, from the very poor to the very rich. The ship was like no other ship, and was thought to be unsinkable. So although from the time it hit the iceberg to the time it sank several hours had passed, to the human mind it happens very fast. One minute you’re living and the next minute you’re dying. It would be very difficult for a mind to process what was going on. I guess the word, shock, would be the best way to describe it. Comprehending what was happening would have been next to impossible.
Unlike a normal paranormal investigation where Ghosts may be detected, Ghosts from the Titanic would be very hard if not impossible to prove. You can’t just take a digital recorder and an EMF detector to the bottom of the ocean and carry on an investigation. However, when observing the reasons why people are believed to have stayed behind after death, the existence of Titanic’s Ghosts seem certain. When death is sudden, Ghosts are more likely, and on the Titanic it happened, not only quickly, but in an unfathomable way. However, most Ghosts only stay around for a short time before moving on. It’s very rare to detect a Ghost any more than 200 years old. In fact, the mid 1800s seem to be the cut off point for most, yet now and then an older Ghost will be detected. Because time does not exists in the spirit world in which to judge distance between one event to another, a soul's experience there is very different than ours. What is 100 years for us may only seem like 3 days to someone that has passed away; so very little, if any suffering takes place.
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So where are the Ghosts from the Titanic? I’m sure that by now some have moved on, while others may believe they are still on the ship sailing the North Atlantic. Perhaps some are still walking the Grand Staircase, eating and drinking, not aware they have passed away. Unfortunately however, there could be those who are still living the whole disaster over and over, trying hard to get to safety. Death is said to be like a dream for some people; confusing and strange. We sometimes have dreams that feel very real, so perhaps their real experience feels like a dream. There is so much that could be written about this subject, but I’m sure I’ve given you something to ponder and consider. Time is like oil in the hand; it’s shifts with every little movement and is hard to grasp. Perhaps the souls from the Titanic are all in Heaven, or at least at peace. I suppose the best we can do is to pray for those souls, that they will move on, if they haven’t already done so. Remember, Ghosts are people too.
Do you have a Past Life? By Tim McGovern and Suzanne Taylor Have you ever wondered if you have ever lived in another time? Do certain things just seem natural that are maybe extremely old fashioned, or seem to be from a different era? Without going to a psychic or a medium, there are a few ways that you can determine if in fact you have had a past life. Through my studies, I have found that there are three distinct ways to determine if you have had a past life. They are:
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1. DĂŠjĂ vu 2. Retrograde Planets in your birth chart 3. Past life dreams. Below, I have compounded information on each of these topics. Now keep in mind, these are only tools to determine IF you have had a past life, and possibly what kind of life you have had. To find out specific details of your past life (lives), you can either do a past life regression with someone that is experienced in the field; or you can try the meditation exercise at the end of this article.
DÉJÀ VU 'Déjà vu' is French for ‘already seen.’ Many people have experienced this and know exactly what déjà vu is. It’s an overwhelming feeling of being familiar with something that you know is not possible for you to be familiar with. A spontaneous moment can also be thought of as a momentary memory of a past life. Sylvia Browne states the following pertaining to dèjà vu: " ... and what each of us is experiencing when we feel intense familiarity with an unfamiliar place is our spirit's memories of a past life. We absolutely have been to that supposedly strange place before; it was just in another body, in another time. And when the spirit memories buried in the subconscious are stirred so deeply by sights from a whole other incarnation that those memories emerge into the conscious mind, that "unexplainable familiarity" kind of dèjà vu is created - more accurately, powerful, miraculous glimpse into the eternity of our souls." Phenomenon, pg. 91 Some may say that this uncanny feeling that one has felt, simply means that you have in fact been there before. Maybe you don’t remember. It could have been in your current life, or maybe it was many lives before. Our subconscious tends to hold tons of information and fragments of memories that are not known to our conscious mind, because we might not have been paying full attention the first time around. Have you ever met someone at a party, and five minutes later you cannot remember their name? It’s because you weren’t paying attention the first time around and forgot. These are some of the fragmented memories that we carry throughout our current and past lives. Because we did not fully 15
process the moment when it happened, these memories will bubble up in our subconscious until it reaches the surface to be experienced again. Most of the time when it happens, we forget about it and move on. It is like a dream which our subconscious mind tries to tell us about. People forget their dreams all the time, because they focus more on conscious messages than the subconscious messages our mind tries to tell us. Many people have a dream journal to help remember their dreams; but have you ever thought of keeping a déjà vu journal? If this is a regular occurrence for you, you should. There could be some hidden knowledge that will become apparent to you later in life. Although these fragments of memory may not be complete, they are there. We can tap into them, and have a peak into another dimension if we allow ourselves to. If you have encountered déjà vu, the meditation exercise may help you by trying to focus on the actual déjà vu experience you encountered. This can also occur with people. Sometimes we are drawn to certain people, and do not know why. We may feel that we have met before, but consciously we know we haven’t. This familiarity could be that you knew this particular person in one of your past lives. The deeper the relationship in the past life, the more strong the feelings will be in our current life. There may be a burning passion that you cannot explain, and an immediate connection or chemistry that seems just all too coincidental. Déjà vu is not a hallucination. Hallucinations brought on by drugs or an illness, can last hours or even days. Déjà vu can typically last up to a minute.
THE ASTROLOGY THEORY RETROGRADE PLANETS When a planet is retrograde, it appears in the sky to be moving backwards. Although it is not actually moving backwards on its revolution, the backwards affects can still be felt. Those feelings are those of internal introspection, looking backward, and dealing with the past. When planets are retrograde at the time of our birth, they can have life-long effects. One of these effects can be the unmistakable feeling of having a past life. It is a feeling of bringing memories of a prior life to our present incarnation. According to Martin Schulman, the definition of someone that has a past life based on the retrograde planets in their birth chart is characterized by one or more of the following things: 1. 3 or more planets in retrograde in a person’s birth chart. 2. Any of the personal, or ruling planets in retrograde 3. Even one single retrograde planet that is near the ascendant or midheaven.
So here is an assignment. If you have never pulled your birth chart before, do so, paying close attention to which planets are retrograde. List those planets. Do you fit the above criteria? I have four planets in retrograde in my chart. I also have one of my ruling planets in retrograde in my chart. Ruling planets would be those of your sun sign, moon sign, or ascendant. Now based on which planets are retrograde, there could be some Karmic lessons, specifically from that planet, that you need to learn about in your current life.
You do not have to believe in reincarnation, to take advantage of these particular past life lessons of your astrological past life. For example, if Mars is retrograde in your birth chart, and you fit the criteria of one of the above items, take a look at the characteristics of Mars. Since Mars is the planet of war and action, you may have been a soldier in your past life, a warrior, or a fighter of some sort, and may need to learn which battles are worth fighting for in this current life. War experiences may have left you in a state that has not allowed you to express your anger appropriately in this life. Or maybe you just need to check your anger and passion a bit. Remember that Astrology is not a religion, but a guide. The planets do influence us; however we are created with a free will and can therefore choose how these influences will affect us through conscious choice. I prefer to work with the universe. PAST LIFE DREAMS The last topic of how you can know if you have had a past life, is through having a past life dream. Many people do not pay attention to their dreams enough. We should. It is the part of the day that we are most in tune with our inner selves, relaxed, and open to other realms. When you get to the point where you can remember your dreams, and possibly even control your dreams (lucid dreaming), it is possible to work off past life karma through your dreams. This is a safe way to confront trauma from past lives without affecting other people in your life. Regular dreams have different characteristics than a past life dream. Here are some
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characteristics that will make a past life dream stand out differently than a regular dream: 1. There is historical detail in the dream. Places, eras, period clothing, people, will all stand out much more in a past life dream. We might even see ourselves in period clothing, or different than how we look today, but yet in the dream, we know it is ourselves. 2. There are unchanging events. You may have repeat dreams where you are trying to change the outcome, but no matter how hard you try, the ending is always the same. In one of my past life dreams, I could not avoid death no matter how many times I tried. It was inevitable for me to die. When I finally accepted that, and realized that it was a past life dream, I stopped having this particular dream. Most messages will disappear, once we receive the intended message from the universe. 3. Origins of waking life issues could become evident. For example, a birthmark that you were born with not caused by delivery, could be a wound of some sort that was obtained in your past life. You may see the origin of this wound. You may also see the origin of spiritual issues, or even mental issues, bad habits, or strange behaviors that you have never been able to explain that you have in your current life. 4. They are outside your learning or experience. If you know how to fly a plane in your dream, and experience things that you know you have never seen, learned, or even comprehended in your waking life, this may be a past life dream of being a pilot of some sort.
These are just a few examples of how you can determine if a dream is a past life dream or 17
not. By keeping a dream journal, you will be able to pay attention to your dreams more. As you start to pay attention to your dreams, you will most likely notice rather quickly, which dream is a regular dream, and which one is different… and could possibly be a past life dream. There is a reason for everything in this life. When there are lessons that we don’t learn from in our past lives, we may be given the opportunity to handle it differently in our current life. These are considered “Karmic Lessons.” We may have been here in several different forms and may continue to keep returning until we learn the Karmic Lessons that the Universe holds for us. PAST LIFE MEDITATION (NOT to be rushed) So now on to the meditation exercise to see if you are able to peek behind the veil of the unknown and see what kind of past life you have had. This meditation will help you unravel your past life.
Who were you? Which part of the world did you live in before? Were you male, or female? What was your job?
I recommend that you lay down for this meditation. You may also wish to play relaxing music in the background. Your temperature may drop whilst meditating, so have a blanket ready for any temperature reduction. If you suffer with back pain, place a pillow, under your knees. For better results, it would be wise to read over this meditation a few times to feel its natural flow. As your reading through this meditation,
take note that the (…) would indicate a few minutes pause before moving onto the next part. 1. Start by taking a few deep breaths: breathing in through your nostrils, and out through your mouth. This type of focused intentional breathing naturally relaxes your body (repeat this breathing exercise 4-5 times)... 2. As you begin to relax, feel your body gently lying on the floor… relaxing all your muscles from head to toe… feel your body becoming heavier and heavier... 3. Imagine yourself gently floating in space… surrounded with beautiful stars, shining bright… You feel safe, secure, warm, and happy... 4. Going deeper now… defying gravity… Jupiter becomes visible within your mind’s eye… With Jupiter’s beautiful orange tones, you feel peace and comfort... 5. Moving gently on… you see a time machine… floating towards the time machine, it’s door gently opens… make your way inside the time machine… as the door gently closes behind you, securely strap yourself into the chair… after 5…4…3…2…1… the time machine begins to move, taking you on a safe journey, back to a formal life… your past life…you have safely landed... 6. As the door begins to open… step out-side the time machine… Who are you? Where are you? What are you wearing? Do you know your name? (Spend time exploring your surroundings, I recommend 15 – 20 minutes) 7. As you finish up, saying your goodbyes … The time machine returns… as you walk 18
towards the time machine… It’s door gently opens… step inside the time machine… 8. The door gently closes behind you… strap yourself into the chair… You feel happy, and relaxed, but know it’s time to make your way back… (If you feel emotionally attached to your past life, spend a few moments imagining a cord, coming out of your heart Chakra. Now at the end of the cord you see your past life. Call on Archangel Michael; ask him for help with release. This will help you by allowing you to detach the cord coming from you heart Chakra. As Archangel Michael stands beside you, he gives you a pair of golden scissors. Take a few minutes, and then cut the cord when you feel ready to do so). 9. Time to come back after...5…4…3…2…1… Your journey back through space is very colourful… As you see… Red… Orange… Yellow… Green… Blue… Indigo… Violet… You feel a strong sense of healing, radiating around you… Love… Peace… Strength… Courage… 10. Your time machine has arrived back home safely… 5…4…3… gently waking… 2 becoming more aware… 1… Opening your eyes, and back in the room.
Written by,
Paranormal Distraction
A Night at
WAVERLY HILLS SANATORIUM A Brief History … Waverly Hills opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital, and could accommodate 4050 tuberculosis patients. Because of the extreme outbreak of tuberculosis (the “White Plague”) in Louisville, Kentucky (due to the “swamp land”), it prompted the construction of a new hospital. Construction of the four-story building began in 1924, and was opened in 1926. It was built in stone, is fireproof throughout, and is a massive 180,000 square feet. This addition to Waverly boosted the amount of patients that could be treated to 400. Waverly became its own community, having a schoolhouse on site, post office and housing for staff members. After the introduction of streptomycin in 1943, the number of tuberculosis cases became less and less, and there was no longer a need for such a large medical facility. Waverly Hills closed its doors in June of 1961. The building reopened in 1962 as Woodhaven Geriatric Center, a nursing home. The facility primarily treated patients with various stages of dementia and mobility limitations, as well as the severely mentally retarded. Woodhaven was closed by the State in 1982, allegedly due to patient neglect. 19
A Brief History; Waverly Hills opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40-50 tuberculosis patients. Because of the extreme outbreak of tuberculosis (the “White Plague”) in Louisville, Kentucky (due to the “swamp land”) it prompted the construction of a new hospital. Construction of the four-story building began in 1924 and opened in 1926. It was built in stone and is fireproof throughout and is a massive 180,000 square feet. This addition to Waverly boosted the amount of patients that could be treated to 400. Waverly became its own community having a schoolhouse on site, post office and housing for staff members. After the introduction to streptomycin in 1943, the number of tuberculosis cases came less and less, and there was no longer a need for such a large medical facility. Wave rly Hills closed its doors in June of 1961. The building reopened in 1962 as Woodhaven Geriatric Center, a nursing home. The facility primarily treated patients with various stages of dementia and mobility limits as well as the severely retarded Woodhaven was closed by the State in 1982 allegedly due to patient neglect. Our story; Last month five of our female members of Paranormal Distraction headed east for a four day
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adventure in hopes to experience paranormal activity at two of the most known haunted hot spots in the U.S. We set out from Omaha, Nebraska to Kansas City, Missouri to meet up with other members of our team and continue on our journey heading to Kentucky and then Ohio. The anticipation was building and getting stronger by the moment and with each mile that we got closer. Our first destination…Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky! For several years members of our team have waited patiently to one day have the opportunity to exploring this 180,000 sqft old Tuberculosis Hospital. During our 12-hour drive from Omaha to Kansas City and then to Louisville, we kept up the excitement by telling each other stories that we have read about and heard over the past few years, stories about the hauntings, the history and those that had passed away while staying at the hospital. The weather outside was extremely bad the entire way as we had severe rain, flooding and at times lightning and thunder. This extended our drive by two more hours….oh the anticipation! Upon arriving to the Sanatorium there are many trees covering the property. The property sits back behind a thick wooded area on top of a hill. As we round the street that leads us to the gate, out from behind the trees emerges this huge old building. We made it at last! The team was greeted at the gate by Mike our guide, who led us up the path to the entrance of the building. All of the stories, photos and TV shows could not have
prepared us enough for what we were seeing before our eyes. The building was massive, larger than we could have ever imagined! When then started off with a tour of the outside of the building and then proceeded into the sanatorium. Mike said that the main purpose of the tour was to show us how to navigate through the building as it was very easy to get lost, and he was not kidding. There was hallway after hallway, door after door and most all of the floors looked very much alike. When we were walking down one of the hallways, Mike indicated to keep an ear out for whistles, and if you hear a whistle, get ready as something is about to happened. Within 10 seconds after saying that, Angelique, Carrie and Erin heard a whistle behind them clear as day. When they asked if anyone else heard a whistle, a very large black figure jumped from the ceiling down to the floor right in front of all of us and behind Mike as he was turned towards us. We had not even started to investigate and things were happening all around us, doors slamming shut, footsteps walking behind us, heavy breathing was heard and shadows peeping around here and there. After the tour we grabbed all of our gear and headed up to the fifth floor planning to work our way back down through the night. The fifth floor was opened aired and had a large roof top that patients were able to use to get more sun light and enjoy the fresh air. The children were allowed to play on one side of the fifth floor and the adults to whom tuberculosis went to their brains (the insane) on the other side. The Fifth floor is also home to the infamous room 502, where it is said that a nurse had an abortion in that room, and then hung herself right outside the door by the elevator shaft. It is also said that a nurse jumped out the fifth floor window, falling to her death, after learning that she was a victim to the incurable disease. The entire time that we were on the fifth floor, Erin felt as if there was a mass of 21
energy around her, that someone or something was constantly touching her. We heard many different voices and witness several shadow figures. The team also encountered "Timmy" a spirit of a young boy who enjoyed playing a game of hide and seek with us. Angelique and Carrie heard his little laugh and footsteps running around trying to find Erin.
What an experience that was. It wasn’t long before we were drawn to the fourth floor. The fourth floor is full of hallways and many doors. While investigating in the cafeteria, which is in the center of the hallways, we encountered numerous loud bangs, shadow figures all around us, the sense of being watched and significant heat spikes with our melmeter. The feeling was eerie and sad. Renee said several times how she felt the sadness of those that passed away from their illnesses of the white plague.
After spending a couple of hours on the upper two floors we decided to come back down to take a break and regroup at our command center. While navigating through the massive hallways, we finally found the door to the main stairwells that go through the center of the building. We proceeded down the steps and as soon as we passed by the second floor stairway there was a HUGE BANG. We all stopped right in our tracks, and
then heard something walking forcefully right towards us. We yelled “hello, anyone up there�, and received no response. Something was trying to get our attention on the second floor and continued to rattle and bang around until we left the area. Now the excitement is just about to begin. After our break we decided to head back to the second floor where we heard all the banging coming from. The feeling of approaching that floor was like no other feeling. We did not feel welcome. The dark, creepy, heavy feeling was getting stronger each step that we took. Once again we had the strong sense of being watched. They are right next to us investigator, Stacey said, talking about the spirits. Angelique and Renee heard several growls after taking a few steps down the hallway and had a strong feeling that what we were dealing with was not at all good! We decide to walk side by side because anyone that was in the back felt like they were not walking alone and were being followed. We could hear footsteps right behind our own with loud breathing and at times hissing. As we continued walking towards the center of the hall the feeling intensified as if we were surrounded by a negative entity that did not want us there, the feeling of dread and intense uneasiness engulfed us. The team decided to stay in a tight group because of the feelings we had and the noises that were getting closer and closer to us from both ends of the hallways, doors opening and slamming shut and that feeling you get in your gut when something is about to happen. Several of us witnessed shadow figures and heard disembodied whispers coming from some of the rooms. The second floor was truly scary even for the most seasoned investigator! Our next destination was the third floor, and once again we were met by Mike. We asked Mike if he would like to come along with us since he knew the building so well and we wanted to try some experiments. This floor is known as the creeper floor. The "creeper" most often manifests itself from a black shadow figure into something resembling a human like creature; it has been seen crawling on the walls and ceiling and has been known to charge at the people whom have seen it. Looking down this long hallway that seemed endless, we could see in the shadows from the 22
moonlight, doors in the outer hallway were blowing from the wind that had then picked up. It was another tense moment, just like a scary movie. Paint chipping off the walls, old building with doors opening and closing (now from the wind) and the footsteps continued behind us! Once we made it to the end of the hallway we all sat down on the floor. Mike took out his flashlight and told us that the spirits like to communicate using them the best. He sat the flashlight in the middle of the hallway along with an EMF detector and started another EVP session. As we sat there asking questions and watching the flashlight to see if we could make communication from those spirits that were with us. Within a few minutes the light started responding to us by flashing on from the off position. Mike then asked for the spirit to turn the light off, we noticed the flashlight would dim in and out unlike a normal light would. He would ask again this time getting up telling the spirit "I'm going to come and get it if you don't turn it off", he would start walking towards it and it quickly turned off. He would then sit back down with us and ask more questions, this continued on for about 40 minutes. During this time we could see two black shadows at the end of the hallway that would either peek their head out of the doorway or stand in the middle of the hall near the flashlight. We all heard a disembodied voice yelling at us a couple of times. Mike walked alone down the hall while Angelique took a series of pictures, in a few of the pictures she could see a black mass standing in front of Mike blacking him completely out. Angelique yelled down to Mike telling him he wasn't in the pictures and she saw the mass on the camera. He responded saying that he could feel them all around him. He started walking back while she continued taking pictures when he finally reappeared in the pictures. We all could not believe what we had just witnessed on this and the communication we were having with these intelligent spirits and perhaps the creeper! As the night got later, we headed down to the first floor. It's now time to walk the 500 feet down the death tunnel (body chute). Cameras in hand we headed down being careful to not miss a step. The tunnel was pitch black and all you could hear were our feet walking down the path and again something following us. We did have a few experiences in the
tunnel as a couple teammates were touched and every now and then you could hear a disembodied voice. But because of the bats we did not stay long and walked back up. After we exited the body shoot, we made our way down the hall and into the morgue. The morgue was still furnished with the body drawers, exam table and gurney, creepy to say the least. We did not experience as much in this room, but several of us felt the emotions associated to that room, the feeling of sadness consumes it. We decided to move on and met up with Mike again to conduct another EVP session. He led us into what used to be the front lobby area of the hospital. We all sat down on the floor and had a flashlight placed on the other side of the room alongside our spirit box. Once the spirit box was turned on the activity began! Within two minutes of turning on the spirit box the building began to rumble and shake three times. Erin asked Mike if that was thunder and he replied, “That definitely is not thunder”, and he was right. The rumbling lasted a good 20 seconds and we knew it was not thunder, but the might and strength of something that was upset from us being there. We continued on with our EVP session. Angelique then asked, “Was that you making all that noise”, and a voice came over and replied “No”. She then asked, “Well then, who is it” and we get the response “The
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Devil”. At this point you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Everyone was on edge, yet highly alert at the same time. One of the last questions asked was “What do you want to do” and it replied, “I kill you”. At that point we told the entity that we were speaking to that we are no longer communicating with it and it needed to leave and not follow us. As we told it to step away from our equipment, the flashlight dimmed, and then completely shut off. Our journey at Waverly was coming to an end. We headed back to command central and packed up our equipment. We said our goodbyes to Mike and ran out to our car in the pouring rain. As we were pulling out of Waverly, we just sat in awe, as we could not believe all the activity that we just experienced. Waverly was all that we wanted it to be and was even better than we ever imagined. As we talked of our experience on our way back to the hotel, all we could do was smile. It was a true paranormal adventure
HAUNTING AT THE CAGE resulting in severe injury. Prisoners would purposely do this to escape their cells as they were brought to the infirmary or the local hospital. It appears that prisoners would do anything to get out of the Cage.
In the heart of downtown Council Bluffs, Iowa, everything appears to be normal. There is Bayliss Park where kids run and play, the public library, and the police station. However, there is a unique structure that sits in the midst of this city that holds significant history of the town, and is home to some local haunts. This structure is the Squirrel Cage Jail. This exceptional building was built in 1885, and was one of the 18 rotary jails constructed in the United States. However, what makes this structure stand out among the rest is that it is the only one built three stories high. What is a rotary jail, you ask? It is a unique design that provides maximum security with little contact between prisoners and the jail staff. The interior of the jail resembles a circular cage, containing pie shaped cells. In order for the prisoners to exit their cells, the jailers had to use a large crank to turn the cage, letting the prisoners out one by one. There are stories of prisoners extending their arms or legs out while the cage was turning, 24
As the jail was built on a water table, some days the jailers were unable to rotate the cage. There is a story of a man who had died of a heart attack in his cell and the cage was unable to be rotated. He lay dead for days until the Cage was able to be rotated. Another tragedy that happened at the jail is when the great farmer’s strike took place. As Council Bluffs was a farming community, many of the farmers were either jailed or were protesting. The government decided to deputize its local citizens and provide them with automatic weapons as the strike was becoming rapidly violent. It appears that the locals were not properly trained, as one of the newly deputized citizens accidentally shot and killed himself on the premises. The jail is filled with names and tales from the inmates that called the Cage home. These names and tales are all around the jail, etched into the interior walls and the ceilings. The Cage also has two solitary confinement areas, in which rowdy inmates would be placed for days. One of them is located down a dungeon-like hallway which leads to a single standing closet cell. The area was so small there was only room for the prisoner to stand upright. A coffee can was given to them to use for waste. When the inmate was let out of confinement, the jailers would have to drag them out as they had lost all feeling in their legs.
The jail closed its doors in 1969, although it seems as if the inmates and jailers never left. There are endless stories of the spirits that still roam the jail. Carla Borgaila, the Museum Coordinator for the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County states, “The jail has provided countless EVPs to the point that I’ve learned to recognize some of the voices. Some seem more protective of the building and tell our groups to get out while others seem to welcome the interaction.” The Cage has been investigated by many paranormal teams which have captured many EVPs. A little girl with a beautiful singing voice is frequently heard within the jail. Why would a little girl be in the Cage? Children were allowed to stay with their mothers who were incarcerated. You may think that this is horrific, but they received three hot meals, had a roof over their heads and there were other children to play with. Other EVPs are not so innocent. There are countless EVPs of “Get out,” and even “I hate…” have been captured. People come from all over to experience the haunts at the Squirrel Cage Jail. If your travels take you near Council Bluffs, or you are looking for a ghostly experience, stop by the Squirrel Cage Jail…you never know who is waiting for you. Squirrel Cage Jail http://thehistoricalsociety.org/jail.htm 25
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Most people that have worked a Ouija board will suggest that you simply stay away from them. Even those individuals that have never touched a Ouija board will warn against using them, simply because of the stories they have heard. Either way, Ouija boards are frowned upon. What’s so scary or bad about a piece of cardboard and plastic? Could it be the mystery surrounding the board and how it works? What makes the planchette move when you place your fingers on it? Is it a window to the spirit world? Where did the Ouija board come from? These are just a few of the questions people have about the talking board. Before we attempt to address those questions, let’s take a quick look at the history of the Ouija board, or at least what we know about it.
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History of the Talking Board Although no one exactly knows where the Ouija board originally came from, the basic concept and forms of the board have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The word “Ouija” is thought to come from both the French and German words that mean “YES.” Some people believe that Ouija boards are ancient and go back as far as 500 BC, but the Ouija boards we use today have only been around for a little over a century. In 1891, two men named Elijah Bond and Charles Kennard co-patented the planchette, which was sold along with a board upon which an alphabet was printed. This board and device became the novelty known today as the “Ouija board.” Kennard thought of the name “Ouija” because he claimed that the board told him it was Egyptian for “good luck.” Ten years later in 1901, the production of Ouija boards was taken over by an employee of the Kennard Novelty Company named William Fuld. After his takeover, Fuld re-invented the Ouija board, claiming all credit for its invention. Fuld ran his company until his death in 1927, and then his children took over. In 1966, his children sold the company to Parker Brothers, and in 1991, Parker Brothers
was sold to Hasbro, which now owns all patents and trademarks that are connected to the Ouija board.
The Mystery Surrounding the Board Now that we know a little about the origins of the talking board, let’s take a look at what makes it so frowned upon and scary. We all know that when communicating with the spirit world there is the risk of danger, because you can’t actually see who you are talking to or who is talking back, and this leaves possibilities for big problems. Many of the people that have worked a Ouija board have fear and confusion about who’s really moving the planchette. The planchette is the plastic heart shaped device you rest your fingers on. Whether it’s a spirit, your subconscious mind, or something else, the planchette does move when in the hands of the right people. This is not speculation, this is fact. In experiments, people have been placed in front of a Ouija board with their eyes blindfolded and hands placed on the planchette. After questions were asked, names would be spelled out, as well as answers, to many of the questions. In my opinion, this proves that someone or something unseen is moving the planchette to the symbols on the board. However, the big question is who, or what, is producing the answers and moving the planchette? When I asked people about this, most of them say that it’s some kind of evil force, usually the Devil or demons. Some claim that it’s lost souls or ghosts. Others believe that it could be the whole unseen spirit world. Like many of you, I have had my own experiences with the Ouija board. A few years back, a friend and I did a two year study of the Ouija board. However, before I tell you our results, you need to first understand the purpose and reasoning 27
behind this experiment. I help so many different people with spiritual matters, and it’s very important that I study and understand a vast array of spiritual concepts, ideas and beliefs. Religion, dreams, life after death and ghosts are just a few of the things that I counsel people about. So in my case, it is very important for me to understand these spiritual things in order to help others. Unlike many others, I have no fear of - yet I have great respect for - the spirit world, and all those that are in and a part of it. I guess you can say I really need to know what I’m talking about in order to give advice and guidance to others. I don’t want to be the blind leading the blind.
Our Findings Although some of our experiences I choose to keep private, I will reveal a few of our findings. One of the first things that we discovered is there is no power in the Ouija board itself. It is a tool like any other, developed to communicate with the spirit world. We found that because all subconscious minds are connected, it is the minds from the spirit world connecting with our minds that causes the pointer to move. Most individuals are not in-tune to spiritual things, and so the board was invented for direct contact with the spirit world. Few people are actually psychic enough to communicate with the spirit world without confusion. My partner and I supposedly communicated with ghosts, angels, demons and other spiritual beings. We also talked to dead relatives, fairies, souls from the distant past, and souls from other planets. We talked to those that knew us from past lives, as well as someone from the future. We even talked to a man using another Ouija board. He tried to send us to the light because he thought we were dead and lost. We all had a good laugh over that one. We were given both good and bad advice, and we
talked to very wise, as well as very stupid people. We were told that we are much loved by some, and very hated by others. We sent scores of people and ghosts to the light. I guess one of the most amazing things we experienced was a sea captain from the 1700’s that was still on the ship in the rough seas he died in. He was panicking and in a storm. We asked him
to look around for a light. He said that he could see a light house, so we told him to head for it. Next thing we knew, he was gone. We looked it up on the internet and found proof of the ship and the event. There are so many things that could be revealed, yet like I said earlier, some things we experienced we choose to keep private.
Are these things that I reported to you true or possible? Regardless of what you choose to believe, I have simply told you what we experienced over a two year period, three nights a week. No, I don’t play around with or even use a Ouija board now. I found what I needed to know in order to do my work, and now have no further use for the board. The bottom line is this; using a Ouija Board can be dangerous. If you haven’t studied and come to understand how spiritual things work, don’t touch one. You could easily invite a spirit into your life that will wreak havoc, and simply won’t leave you alone. Though sold as a game, these talking boards are not a toy, and should be respected and understood before being bought or used. We must work out our own salvation, so be wise in
what “and who” you believe.
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