http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:23:12 +0000 240 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25640
The choir was made in Norman times and then altered slightly in the 13th century, the bishop's throne goes back to the 14th century, tradition says it was used on Whitsunday of AD 1142 of King Stephen, the North Choir aisle was made by Italian workmen in the 13th century. The North east transept was restored by Sir Gilbert Scott in 1857 and the South east transept has undergone a great change since its original design. The Lady Chapel is from the 13th century and was used has a library hill until 1862.The cathedral organ was apparently a present from King Charles II in 1686 and has been replaced and enlarged from time to time over the years, the organ contains 3,455 speaking pipes. The Hereford cathedral is most famous for its Mappi Mundi which is still on show inside the cathedral. It is a famous world wide map and was designed in AD1300 by Richard de Bello of Haldingham, it was found under the wooden floor of a chantry in the cathedral and in 1813 it was neglected and torn so in 1855 it was sent to the British Museum for it to be cleaned and repaired, in 1863 it was then taken back to the cathedral where it still sits today, the map is 54 inches by 63 inches.

The chained library is also a must see for the cathedral's visitors, in the library are 1, 500 books and 500 are manuscripts, the earliest books at the library dates from 1012-1056, these books were the Hereford Gospels and were authorised by Bishop Athelsan. The library was moved to Lady Chapel in 1590 and in 1841 the books were removed and store din the Vicars Choral Cloister and the cases went to the crypt, in 1897 the books were all moved again, a new two storey building was made and this was called the Dean Leigh Library, the books remained on display to the public here until 1996. Now in the new library building the books have been returned to their bookcases which have all been re- assembled in their original form, this as been the first time this as happened in 150 years. In the medieval days the Cathedral Close was used as a city graveyard and it was also used as the grazing for pigs, it was also the centre for the Ethelbert's fair. The land was enclosed in 1389, this was done by the Dean and Chapter because the pigs were digging up human remains and the loss of grazing led to riots that got out of hand.

Back in the early days the library 1200's books were worth as much as a house and so they used to chain books up so they could not be taken from the library, as the books were so heavy they were moved around the cathedral by a large wooden book chest with a strong pole attached to the top so two men could easily carry the heavy chest around. In the Stanbury Chantry part of the cathedral lye's the tomb of Richard de Capella, Richard built the old wooden bridge Wye Bridge in the city and he was also the King's Chamberlain and Keeper of the Great Seal. There have been sightings of ghostly monks in and around the cathedral. One particular story that stands out was when a Three choirs festival took place in the Lady Chapel area of the cathedral when apparently a monk was seen standing at the end of aisle by a handful of people who were obviously very amazed to see that they had an extra guest! A phantom monk was also seen in broad daylight on the grounds of the cathedral, the monk was spotted five times walking around the grounds in the autumn and winter of 1934, believed afterwards to be at rest, locals were shocked to hear about an 11 year old girl that saw the apparition of a cowled monk in 1956.The ghostly monk apparently wears a brown habit with the hood up and walks along with his hands clasped in front of him, the apparition has also been seen walking along scaffolding back in the 1930's.

There has been many sightings over the years of the monk and history suggests that the monk was a friar defending the building when Hereford was attacked in 1055 has several friars were killed at the time. Not everybody believes that the Cathedral is haunted but with so many ghost sightings over time it is considered to be by some locals and these stories have even been featured in Hereford's local papers.

Text and images © 2010 Natalie Lawrence Haunted-Hereford.co.uk]]> Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:23:12 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25640 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25573
In the early part of the twentieth century the American astronomer Vesto Slipher and the German Carl Wirtz made some important astronomical discoveries. Using spectral analysis, Slipher deciphered the mixtures of gases contained in planetary atmospheres as well as nebulae. What distinguishes his findings is the discovery that most if not all galaxies outside of our own demonstrate what is called a 'Red Shift.' This shift is simply a change in the wavelength of the light emitted by those objects under investigation towards a longer wavelength. Wirtz similarly catalogued many red shifts of the nebulae which he chose to study. But it was still to early for them to realize the full potential meaning of their observations. That would wait until Einstein's General Relativity would be interpreted by other scientists through further mathematical analysis.

His contemporaries demonstrated to Einstein that his new Theory of General Relativity published in 1916 was not compatible with a 'static' universe of space time. The theory predicted an expanding or collapsing universe but not a fixed cosmos. Because he personally believed the universe to be an invariable space time continuum, Einstein engaged in a degree of scientific legerdemain. To correct what he perceived to be as 'flaws' in his theory he added the contrivance of a cosmological constant known as lambda to force the static universe into reality. Einstein's view of perfection in an unchanging space time continuum had led him down a blind alley as much as Aristotle's concept of perfection had brought that great philosopher into the error of believing in a static Earth at the center of the universe.

But even with the addition of the cosmological constant lambda, the universe was still found to be unstable and this whole affair would later be viewed by Einstein as his "greatest blunder." His cosmological acrobatics behind him, Einstein yielded the stage to others for a clearer understanding of his own theory. It fell to Alexander Alexandrovich Friedmann to consider the consequences of General Relativity without the constant lambda interfering with his study of these relationships. In doing so, the Russian mathematician and cosmologist derived the solution which predicts an ever expanding cosmological structure (1922), a prediction which was disagreeable with Einstein's concept of universal perfection. A couple of years later, Friedmann published his findings in "About the Possibility of a World with Constant Negative Curvature of Space." But the entire hypothetical construct still lacked a complete verbalization mathematically and theoretically.

Enter the Reverend Father Georges Lemaitre, a Catholic priest from Belgium. Rev. Fr. Lemaitre provided the equations necessary to formulate the basis of Big Bang theory in his work entitled "Hypothesis of the Primeval Atom." He postulated that the universe began as a primordial atom of infinitesimal volume and enormous mass energy as well as space and time and everything else comprising the future universe. At some point the universe began with the explosion of this super atom. Lemaitre published his theoretical ideas between the years 1927 and 1933 and speculated that the movement of the nebulae demonstrated the validity of the explosion of his cosmic super atom. Unfortunately, he also wrongly believed that cosmic rays might be an after effect of the super atom's big bang. These are now known to be generated not from a universal conflagration but from galactic sources unrelated to the big bang.

However, the new theory still lacked a major source of observational support. This would be provided by Edwin Hubble's observations of the redshift of galaxies. Taking up where Slipher and Wirtz left off, Hubble employed a novel technique to discern the properties of the galactic movements. By choosing to observe stars that are known as Cepheid Variables he could more accurately make measurements. Cepheids are a type of star that brighten and darken and lighten back up in regular periods of time that are well known. Cepheids that have identical cycle times of brightening darkening and brightening again also have identical or nearly identical luminosity. Thus, if one compares the length of the cycle to the amount of light apparent to the observer it is possible to accurately prepare an estimate of the distance to the cepheid.

In this manner, Hubble had found that the nebulae or galaxies exhibited a galactic red shift; in other words, that galaxies were receding away from ours at a speed which is correlated directly with the distance between our vantage point and the galaxy being studied. The further away the galaxies were the faster they appeared to be going in moving away from us. The results of these investigations is now known as Hubble's Law. Essentially, this law states that universe is in an ever expanding mode whereby the intergalactic distances continue to grow without bound into infinity. Hubble's Law depends upon the shifting of the wavelength of light and after having been delineated in 1929 has been subsequently proven over and over again. Further, Hubble's constant has been recalculated to a more 'perfect' value and retains a great probability of being 'recomputed' in the future based upon new observations.

Thus, it should be clear to the reader that our scientists have a fateful habit of introducing their preconceived notions of beauty into their models. From Aristotle's static Earth to Einstein's greatest blunder, the constant which forces a static universe, we proceed only from the wisdom of our weak minds. The more things change the more things stay the same. Man's hubris knows no limits in our attempts to understand things without the wisdom to comprehend its underlying meaning. Humble we are not. We are making the same mistakes we always have. Back to the future.

View: Full Article | Source: Michael Strauss/ArticleGeek.com

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CXC, M. Bradac (University of California, Santa Barbara), and S. Allen (Stanford University)]]> Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:46:55 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25573 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25528
Since then, thousands of visitors have flocked to the palace and it has become one of England’s most popular tourist attractions.

Hampton Court Palace is similar to many of the old buildings scattered around the British Isles in that it harbours a multitude of rumours of otherworldly inhabitants; spiritual relics of a bygone age, supposedly lingering after death and occasionally glimpsed by the unsuspecting visitor. Jane Seymour is said to wander the Clock Court, ethereal in a floating white gown and carrying a lighted candle; while Catherine Howard has been seen on numerous occasions in the (appropriately named) Haunted Gallery. Long-dead Cavaliers were perceived wandering the palace’s grounds, and of course, Cardinal Wolsey’s spectre is said to still meander through the edifice’s aged corridors.

Older, resident spooks abound, but it is the event which took place six years ago which has given the palace a new claim to ghostly fame.

Three times over consecutive days in October, 2003, members of the palace security staff were called to attend to one particular fire door near the palace's introductory exhibition. The security staff was alerted to something being amiss when alarms began ringing, indicating that a secured door had been opened without authorisation. Staff members visited the fire door in question and, finding it to be open, made sure it was re-closed securely. There was no other suspicious activity to report. A closed-circuit television camera was well-placed opposite the doorway in question and a review of the footage showed the doors opening abruptly, but no human presence to explain why. This took place around 1pm.

The next day hosted similar events, but this time there was a shock in store for staff members. Once again, alarm bells signalled the impromptu opening of the fire door. Another out to the doors in question revealed that this time they were closed. The CCTV was viewed for a second time. As before, it had captured the flinging open of the double doors, only this time a curious figure could be seen stepping forward, into the frame, grasping the door handles and abruptly pulling them closed. The figure, though grainy, can clearly be seen dressed in a long, furred-trimmed coat with flowing cuffs and a high collar (or perhaps ruff); unusual apparel indeed.

The activity on the next day compounded the mystery. The same doors flew open suddenly at the same time as they had done before. As with the first incident, no figure, or reason for the doors opening was found. Nothing unusual had been spotted by people that had been nearby nor anything suspicious captured by the CCTV footage.

A security guard at the palace is quoted by the UK Press Association as saying:

“I was shocked when the CCTV footage showed an eerie figure in period dress in the doorway. It was incredibly spooky because the face just didn’t look human.

My first reaction was that someone was having a laugh, so I asked my colleagues to take a look. We spoke to our costumed guides but they don’t own a costume like that worn by the figure. It is actually quite unnerving!”

It is claimed that some Australian tourists came forward to say that they too had seen a ghost near the exhibition area near the time. Similarly, an entry in the palace’s visitor comments book stated that a sightseer thought she too had seen some kind of apparition in the same area.

The palace has used costumed guides, which would have been the most obvious, earthly, explanation, but this line of inquiry has eliminated the possibility that these theatrical figures could have been mistaken for a phantom because they do not enter the part of the building in question and indeed, do not even possess costumes like the figure wears in the CCTV footage.

Some sceptics have asked if the ghost of a person who lived hundreds of years ago could possibly know how to operate a modern fire door and opined that the figure looks too real, too solid to be an apparition. The website Paranormal-Investigation.com reviewed the footage and concluded:

“When enhanced and stabilized, the video looks far less like a ghost and more like an attendant of some kind who is wearing a period costume. The press and media took the most ghost-like image of the low resolution sequence and circulated the low resolution and shaky images from video without any processing to balance contrast and used this to claim it was a ghost, but when you look at the sequence once enhanced and stabilized it looks less convincing.

Would a 17th century spirit know how to operate a Fire exit door? I'm sure most modern people have difficulty closing them but the 'ghost' seemed quite able to get it to work, closing one side then the other. The motion of the legs, arms and hands appear totally solid and are consistent with that of known human articulation.”

But when the vast majority of ‘ghost’ photographs are dismissed as indistinguishable and indefinite it is refreshing to have a more substantial-looking recording, at least. Indeed, who is to say how solid a ghost should look, or whether a representative of the spirit-world can indeed interact fluently with modern objects? Sadly, the investigators at Paranormal-Investigation.com appear not to have pursued the investigation further than playing with the video footage.

It is hard to track down information that has been released by Hampton Court Palace (beyond the main, regurgitated facts that every website reproduces about the incident). It is difficult to find any details regarding exactly where the doorway at the centre of the incidents is, how old that section of building is, whether further CCTV from the second day had been reviewed to see if there had been a tourist in the palace wearing a long, furred coat and so on. In fact, it took months for the staff to release the CCTV tape to the public after the strange image was captured. This was because the now infamous fire door had a history of being opened without authorisation, thus causing alarms to go off, and so internal memos had been circulated among the staff to stop what was believed to be a troublemaker from tampering with the door. However, no culprit was found until the video appeared to show that the robed figure had been responsible for setting off the alarms on at least one occasion. Even then, an earthly perpetrator was still suspected and an investigation initiated. The investigation bore no fruit, the evidence from the CCTV tape failed to help find a suspect and the footage was soon released to a wider audience.

We’re baffled too; it’s not a joke, we haven’t manufactured it,” said Vikki Wood, a Hampton Court spokeswoman, when asked if the footage the palace had released was a hoax “We genuinely don’t know who it is or what it is.”

The seemingly ubiquitous psychologist Dr Richard Wiseman stated that the spectre, which has now been given the moniker ‘Skeletor’, might prove to be a significant breakthrough. “It could be the best ghost sighting ever” he said, before adding, “I haven’t seen anything that would match that at all.” This of course, is if the figure really is a bona fide apparition. Dr. Wiseman also gave his opinion on what the figure is most likely to be: “It is either a publicity stunt by the Palace, which I doubt, or it is a member of the public thinking they were being helpful by shutting the doors.”

Security staff members at the palace remain adamant that it is not a deception and while providing a new point of interest, it would hardly have increased the palace’s profits by much, especially considering that no new ghostly commodities or publications have been issued to profit from the CCTV footage. It is doubtful whether the figure will ever be proved to be a genuine ghoul or not, but what is certain is that the footage makes transfixing viewing.

Watch The Video Here

Further Reading:

First published in Ghost Voices Magazine, Issue #8: GhostVoicesMagazine.com

Article © 2010 Matt Forde.

Further Articles By Matt Forde: EnvironmentalGraffiti.com

Image Credit: Daniel Newman]]> Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:53:27 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25528 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25419
After the Scotsman, James Beaumont Neilson discovered a technique to exploit the then unwieldy incendiary properties of Anthracite, an extremely hard form of coal, this natural deposit became highly valued and in North America small towns appeared around mining sites, accommodating the influx of workers and investors. One such settlement was Centralia, Pennsylvania, where a vast underground seam of Anthracite was discovered in the mid-1800s.

The miners moved in and production grew until, at its highest, the town’s population rose to over two thousand inhabitants, with another five hundred residing nearby. Reportedly, the headcount has now been reduced to a mere twelve. So, why the migration, and what aspect of this sleepy mining community could have inspired the writer Roger Avery to base the fictional town of Silent Hill on Centralia?

In 1962 the burning of the town’s landfill ignited a nearby coal seam in an abandoned strip mine adjacent to Odd Fellows Cemetery. Despite the numerous efforts of the local fire department, who thought they had put out the fire on several occasions, the Anthracite, which is notoriously difficult to extinguish, kept re-lighting and steadily spread through the criss-crossing matrix of tributary veins to the other abandoned mines under the town. In the following years the town began to show symptoms of its slow-burning, subterranean fire. Small plumes of smoke began to rise from fresh cracks in the ground; the asphalt of Highway 61 wilted in places and became unsafe to drive on. In 1979, the true scope of the problem came to the forefront when the town’s mayor, and gas-station owner, John Coddington, inserted a dipstick into one of the underground petrol tanks to check the fuel level. Upon withdrawal it seemed unusually hot, so he lowered a thermometer down on a string and was shocked to discover that the temperature inside the tank was 172 °F (77.8 °C). In 1981, large, worrying cave-ins began to occur with life-threatening consequences: “12-year-old Todd Domboski fell into a sinkhole four feet wide by 150 feet (46 m) deep that suddenly opened beneath his feet in a backyard. Only the quick work of his cousin Eric Wolfgang in pulling Todd out of the hole to saved Todd's life, as the plume of hot steam billowing from the hole was measured as containing a lethal level of carbon monoxide.”

Soon, every house had to be fitted with carbon monoxide detectors as underground gases rose to the surface.

Many more attempts were made to halt the fires progress, but without large-scale funding the town was eventually deemed helpless and most residents took advantage of a $40million government resettlement program which created homes for them in the nearby Mount Carmel and Ashland. By now the fire was directly under the town and showed no signs of diminishing.

Finding Centralia on Google Earth gives the observer an idea of the extent of the damage that the underground fires have had on this now ghostly settlement. The road network can still be seen, as can the skeletal foundations of building plots. The asphalt, though cracked and smoking in many places, is reasonably intact, albeit now leading to nowhere and, although almost all of the original structures have been neatly demolished and flattened, the road signs remain, standing as silent sentinels of their former occupations. Notably, a few houses still stand, their defiance embellished by the barren nature of the surrounding landscape.

Legend holds that the town was cursed by the local priest who was beaten after speaking out against the activities of Irish vigilante miners (the Molly Maguires), saying that “a day would come when only St. Ignatius’ Roman Catholic Church would remain standing in Centralia, and that the little mining town, founded on a bed of coal, would burn forever." The church in question lasted much longer than most of the other buildings in Centralia, but alas, that too was demolished in the summer of 1997.

A time-capsule that was buried in 1966 is due to be opened in 2016, the contents were undoubtedly hopeful of Centralia’s future but will be greeted by an unexpectedly bleak landscape. That’s if it doesn’t melt into the fiery depths in the meantime.

It is estimated that enough fuel exists under Centralia to maintain the fire for the next 250 years.

Article © 2010 Matt Forde.

Image Credit: U.S. Federal Government]]> Sat, 08 May 2010 10:50:20 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25419 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25348
So what is the problem? A great way of communicating with your members and visitors, why should something so useful and widely available be so off-putting? Take a quick look around your favourite paranormal related sites and you will see why. Be they believer sites or one of a plethora of skeptic sites you will find that every man and his dog is having a go - with disastrous results.

The internet is simply awash with sub-standard podcasts from "have-a-go" webmasters giving rise to a mass of amateurish - at times embarrassing - broadcasting.

I recently sat through the first 6-7 minutes of such a broadcast, allbeit it a video upload link. After almost 7 minutes, approximately half way through the video, I turned off. The topic of this blogger's video was sexism and feminism in the skeptic world. Now I'm all for equality, that said, any "feminist" movement is just plain wrong! After 7 or so minutes of listening to this woman dribble on about why women seem to have less of a place in the skeptic world, I switched off!

Now I'm a curious man and couldn't resist another peek, one last laugh at the sheer expense of one Rebecca Watson - A skeptic chick as she likes to be known. Again, same result - switching off when I heard her discuss the art of squirting vinegar inside the vagina! You heard me right, in a bid to make a point - allbeit a long winded one - she described the art of "douche". Now I'm familiar with the definition, a method of cleaning the vagina by means of squirting water in to it with the use of a douche bag or vaginal bulb with a small hose/tube attached - better known as "douching".

Now Rebecca Watson is no stranger to the skeptic world, she has a modestly successful blog and close ties with the JREF - you know the one ran by the old man who spent half his life tricky people with magic only to spend the other half offering $1,000,000 to anyone who could prove some form of paranormal/psychic phenomena. With those kind of ties you'd think we'd be in for a treat. Sadly it seems the skeptic fraternity have taken their ramblings to a whole new, and let's be honest, ridiculous level. I suppose if one can make a living from spewing this kind of rubbish then fair play, sadly listening to it is more painful than a impacted colon.

I'll leave you with a rather amusing quote from her presentation which pretty much says it all.

"Sometimes feminists say stupid things"

You said it!

Article © 2010 Brendan Kilmartin.

Image Credit: Wikipedia]]> Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:20:39 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25348 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25335
It was only when she returned home and had the film developed that she noticed the anomalous figure that appeared to be occupying the rear seat of her husband’s car. Upon closer inspection Mabel was able to identify the shadowy figure as her deceased mother. Photographic experts have testified that this photo is absolutely genuine, and that no tampering has taken place. The Sunday Mirror (then the Sunday Pictorial until 1963) came into possession of the ghoulish picture and ran a story about it. The newspaper hired a photographic expert who staked his reputation on the authenticity of the picture, saying that the photograph had not been interfered with, but his personal opinion was that it depicted a natural phenomenon: “My own view is it is likely to be a trick of the light. The woman's scarf seems to follow the line of the back of the seat. As light shines in through different windows of the car it can create odd patterns.”

Perhaps Mabel’s association of her graveside visit with the strange form in the photograph caused her to experience a form of pareidolia; the recognition of something which isn’t really there.

Jim Chinnery says that his mother-in-law had a habit of sitting behind him in the back of his car and that before she died she had told him that she would be forever at his side.

Whatever you believe, the image is certainly an iconic one. The way the light reflects off the ‘apparition’s’ creates a creepy feeling. Whether it is really Mrs. Chinnery’s mother, back from the dead and looking for a chauffeur or merely a trick of the light is for you to decide. It’s a shame the shooting conditions weren't documented enough to enable a modern-day recreation, although I’m not sure which is more frightening; a back-seat spectre or the thought of a perpetual mother-in-law.

Article © 2010 Matt Forde.]]> Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:23:56 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25335 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25334
During the event a local man named Tony O'Rahilly snapped a photograph of the blaze using a 200mm lens from across the road, where he stood with other onlookers and the police who had cordoned off the town centre to ensure that nobody strayed too near the inferno. Nobody observed anything stranger than the sad sight of a burning building and it was only later, upon the development of the film, that O’Rahilly discovered a curious anomaly; a young girl appeared to be standing calmly in the doorway of the blazing town hall's fire escape.

Baffled by the image, he sent the photo to the Association for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena who passed it onto a photographic expert; Dr. Vernon Harrison. Harrison, once the president of the Royal Photographic Society said “The negative is a straight forward piece of black-&-white work and shows no sign of having been tampered with”. He also maintains that an objective outlook demands the acceptance that a combination of smoke, shadow and light could have created the transient optical illusion.

The local legend claims that the girl in the photograph is none other than Jane Churm, a youngster who was alleged to have started a much earlier fire known as the Great Fire of Wem in 1677 which devastated much of the town. Around 150 of the wooden buildings were destroyed in the fire and even the church was not spared, being left roofless with partially melted bells. She apparently did so by accidentally setting light to the thatched roof of her house with a candle and, through guilt, now manifests in various places around town.



Workmen claimed to see an apparition when working in the hall after the fire had been extinguished. The cause of the 1995 fire was not identified and no evidence of arson uncovered. Work was scheduled to begin last year on a revitalised Wem Town Hall.

Article © 2010 Matt Forde.]]> Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:21:25 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25334 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25118
The original name for St Owen Street, first recorded in AD 1296 was 'Hungreye' from the Old English 'hungor' meaning poor land adjacent to water or dry land in a fen. This name presumably refers to its proximity to the ditch. A tenement granted in AD 1364 in Hungreye was bounded by a land called 'Schytelone' (shit lane) which gives some idea of the state of the ditch at this time!

In the late 11th century a new town was laid out beyond the line of the old Saxon borough and new defensive works (corresponding to the modern ring road) were laid out to the north. The circuit remained the same to the west around the site of the Barrels but the ditch here was widened. Between 1224 and 1265 a stone wall was added to the defences, portions of which are still extant.

A short (15m) length of standing city wall remaining to a height of around 3-4m is incorporated into the rear (eastern) side of 67 St Owen's Street (currently the Taste of Raj) which faces into the yard of the Barrels pub. The masonry is coursed flattish squared rubble and has a substantial lean to the east. Recent excavation in the courtyard for the insertion of modern buttresses discovered a berm in front of the wall at least 2m wide, and work on the inside (west face) of the wall showed that its base had originally been built up against an earlier rampart.

The presence of a large town wall prevented people from entering the town at any other point except the four gates, one of which (St Owen's Gate) stood near to the Barrels pub. This allowed tolls to be charged and contributed significantly to the income of the city at the time.

The Barrels pub was formerly known as The Lamb Inn and was built between 1787�1791. It originally had a malt house, extensive stabling and a lock-up yard. The first recorded landlord was a man named William Probert followed by William Langslow as head licensee in 1848. The Lamb Inn also functioned as a hotel for many years and the old Lamb Hotel sign can still be seen outside underneath the modern white paintwork. The inn kept the name until 1986 when its new owner changed the name to The Barrels.

The building today is a busy pub known for its beer and regular entertainment events, but behind this atmosphere of revelry hides a more sinister aspect. The cellars have witnessed a number of paranormal disturbances including strange banging sounds after closing time when only the staff remain to witness the phenomena. Objects are mysteriously moved about when no-one is present and the sounds of an invisible presence are heard walking and shuffling around the dark spaces. Pipes connected to beer barrels are frequently moved and inexplicably reconnected to different barrels as if a former landlord wanted to make his presence felt to the current occupants!

The Barrels is a wonderful example of a historic haunted pub with a period interior and welcoming atmosphere that seems unwilling to let go of its former occupants!

Text and images © 2009 Natalie Lawrence Haunted-Hereford.co.uk]]> Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:03:13 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25118 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24991
“Constantine” is based on the DC/Vertigo comic book, Hellblazer, and tells the story of irreverent supernatural detective John Constantine who has literally been to hell and back. While he tries to solve a variety of mysterious possessions, suicides and deaths, the story takes us through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. He utilizes ancient supernatural rituals and crafts as means to battle the otherworldly dark forces.

As the ‘Constantine’ character illustrates, the human mind is capable of transcending any artificial borders imposed more by the limitations of our five sensory brains than our sixth (and beyond) sensory minds. The paranormal and supernatural are perhaps the wrong terms, inasmuch as it implies that these phenomena are somehow beyond the “norm” and not “natural”, when in fact what is seen today as paranormal and supernatural may very well one day be considered the norm and part of nature’s overall design. The types of phenomena that is included as paranormal and supernatural is an extensive list which includes; haunt and poltergeist phenomena, UFO encounters of the various kinds including abductions, possessions and miracles, exobiological creatures, sacred/mystical/supernatural practices, uncategorizable anomalous phenomena, all types of psychic phenomena and the list goes on and on.

Enter Christopher Chacon, both detective and explorer unafraid of the scientific method’s original, holistic virtues: he will go to only the most volatile of paranormal situations, apparently using a mixture of next-generation scientific techniques, combined with the vast knowledge of metaphysical and mystical methods, both changing to suit that dynamical system we call the Universe. His unparalleled expertise is a result of the combination of his elite training as a scientific investigator/researcher with The Office of Scientific Investigator and Research (O.S.I.R.) and ages-old secret instruction and ancient training given by shamans and elders of mysticism and metaphysics from around the world.

Utilizing its unlimited authority, funds and resources, the O.S.I.R. is the only organization in the world that explores paranormal, supernatural and anomalous phenomena. The agency utilizes next-generation technology and scientific methods to conduct their research. The unknown agenda of this mysterious clandestine organization, coupled with their apparent unlimited authority, often causes many to question their true intentions, and rightly so. The organization has been linked to everything from being the group behind Area 51, to operating the secret expedition that located and is concealing the Ark of the Covenant.

As a veteran investigator/researcher with the O.S.I.R., Chacon participated in thousands of cases all over the world dealing with every type of paranormal phenomena imaginable.

Either as a result of his many explorations as an O.S.I.R. operative or because of his ongoing travels and expeditions after leaving the organization, Chacon also acquired an insurmountable knowledge on ancient mysticism, obscure supernatural practices and metaphysics.

Chacon’s elite-training and vast experience as a veteran paranormal scientific investigator coupled with his unparalleled metaphysical expertise in understanding and dealing with supernatural phenomena, has given him the tools to confront and dispel malevolent phenomena. And perhaps it is the combination of next-generation science and ancient metaphysics that has allowed Chacon to successfully contain and/or terminate the paranormal and supernatural phenomena he has encountered. His great successes, albeit discreet and confidential, has made him highly-regarded and in great demand amongst those who encounter the most volatile phenomena. Because of his mysterious unorthodox methods, he has gained the respect of high-ranking religious institutions, like the Vatican hierarchy, as well as the elders of some of the most remote ancient tribes.

Daring to venture into the often ‘impishly perverse’ side of Nature, with more then just an intellectual, scientific and spiritual vigor, Chacon leaps head-first into this elusive realm duly tempered by the proposition that unknown does not necessarily mean unknowable, indeed, that, as with germ theory a mere century ago, the as yet unseen is by no means unreal. It falls to those with that ‘eureka’ spirit to lead the way to the truth, particularly when those trusted with the truth have halting regard for it. It is hoped that the same seriousness seemingly brought by those media to mundane criminal mysteries in enterprises like CSI, will soon be brought to bear upon far greater, and equally soluble, mysteries currently looked upon as paranormal and supernatural------if Chacon has anything to do with it, it shall be so.

With an unlimited variety of methods, be it scientific or metaphysical, to counter an infinite array of ever-changing phenomena, like ‘Constantine’, Chacon confidently confronts these dark, disturbing phenomena, putting himself directly into harms-way, in an attempt to keep the balance of our world and the unseen world in check.

Article © 2009 Loretta Prescott, All Rights Reserved.]]> Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:21:30 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24991 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24488
I put the quote above by Albert Einstein to illustrate some things often overlooked in the paranormal field. The reality to the world around us is very vast and our science can not explain very much of it today. When we look at spirits and the spiritual side, it's easy to see why science can only go so far at detecting and explaining it.

I feel science is important out there in the paranormal field. Some theories out there can be understood, explained or discounted just knowing some science. So here, I will attempt to put what science you need out there to understand. This is just about the only way to understand my own theory that I have, that came to me by my own inner knowledge and experience with spirits.

This is an attempt to for those interested to give you a possible view of what is actually happening with the use of Science and Spiritual inner knowledge. This handbook is written for a reference and not meant for you to remember all the details, but, to teach some concepts to possibly understand more about the spiritual world and what could actually be happening.

Everything in Our World is Energy

E=mc² is Einstein's theory of relativity from 1905. Yes, it's been around quite some time. What does this mean? Don't worry, I'm not going to go into the entire width of what this means. But, just enough to point out some of it's implications that would concern the science to understand what spirits might or might not be. This little equation says quite a lot and goes far beyond what I will discuss here. But, it does say this; "Energy equals matter" (energy equals mass (of matter) times the speed of light squared). This means, all life, all things are made up of energy. Matter is energy, but, in a different form.

Given that EMF (electro magnetic field) detectors do not always pick up the presence of a spirit, one would have to conclude that if they were a charged energy like electricity, we would be able to detect them all the time. We know that is not the case. So, spirits should be a neutral charge with all the electrons and protons in the molecules balancing the charges of positive and negative charges much like a piece of plastic or metal would be. So, spirits would be a state of matter that is neutrally charged. Which if they were, it would make spirits virtually impossible to pick up using an EMF detector.

Even humans are detectable with EMF detectors. We are like a machine where our bodies are producing energy and taking in energy all the time. All living things have some energy they emit.

So, what are the EMF detectors picking up?

OK, ruling out naturally occurring electro magnetic fields from iron, copper, limestone and a host of other elements that can create electro magnetic fields on their own, I believe what they pick up is not the spirit, but, the area that the mass of matter that a spirit is, affects. This would be in the idea of static electricity.

This would explain why EMF detectors do not always pick up a presence when there are experiences at a site where people have no doubt of a spiritual presence. But, sometimes do pick up something on some occasions. It would also explain fluctuating readings and not having consistent readings.

When matter attempts to occupy the same space it can cause a friction or rapid movement of the atoms in the surrounding area that make up the air. Much like walking across a carpet with socks and you get a shock from touching a doorknob. The movement of the mass into the area, (especially suddenly or when there is more than one mass) would cause all the atoms of the atmosphere of the air and area to move and crush the molecules against each other into a smaller space, disturbing the electrons in the atoms that make up the area. This would cause an electromagnetic field (energy).

Which means, what is detected by an EMF detector, is the area affected by the spirit, not the spirit itself.

All things including the air we breathe, the items in your house, you and me, everything you see around you is made up of matter. The smallest molecules of matter are atoms. Each atom has electrons, protons and neutrons. Electrons are negatively charged. Protons are positively charged. Neutrons are neutrally charged. Meaning, atoms are essentially energy.

Now, you don't have to remember all this. There is no test at the end. You only have to read it and grasp the concept that atoms are essentially energy. Therefore all matter is energy, just in a different form.

So when we say; "Energy can neither be created nor destroyed." that refers to matter as well. Our world is energy. That's the reality. For an example; light a match. Have you just created energy? Not really. The energy is already there, just in a different form presented in atoms of what makes up the match before it is lit and changes when the match is lit. You can see how this theory of energy applies to matter as well.

5 States of Matter Currently Known By Science

1. Bose-Einstein Condensates
2. Solids
3. Liquids
4. Gases
5. Plasmas

These are the 5 states of matter currently known by science. They are in order of how close the molecules or atoms are to each other. The first one (Condensates) have the atoms closest together. The last (Plasma) have the atoms furthest apart.

Don't concern yourself with the first state of matter (Condensates), as it doesn't apply at all to what I am discussing here. I will leave the discussion of what they are out, as to not confuse you. I only list Condensates here, to show there are actually 5 states of matter known to science today.

Our entire world consists of matter in the states listed above. (Well, there may be more that science does not know of yet.)

I believe most people will be familiar with Solid, Liquid and Gas states of matter. So I will skip explaining them here. However, Plasma will be discussed later.

Charge and No Charge… What is energy?

Atoms are usually balanced out by positive and negative charges. This is because they have the same number of protons (positive charges) and electrons (negative charges).

So, unless an electron or proton is missing, you have a neutral charge. That's because the electrons and protons cancel themselves out and are a neutral charge. A piece of metal for instance would have a neutral charge and be undetectable to an electro magnetic field detector (EMF detector).

Plasma however, is positively charged. You can find plasma in florescent lights, lightening, neon lights and in plasma balls. The atoms are further apart than gas. The other types matter listed are neutral. Matter can become charged, like electricity in wiring or filament in a light bulb. When there is a charge, whether positive or negative, it is referred to as an electrical charge. This is generally what people refer to as energy and will be picked up by an EMF detector.

What is an EMF?

EMF stands for electromagnetic field. It is a field of charged particles. You could also call it an energy field. Electricity and magnetism go together and are synonymous. The energy field could be so large it encircles the earth or very small.

These energy fields can be created by naturally occurring substances such as copper, iron, limestone, chalk, salt and water or any combination of these things and among other elements and substances. When you add a water source and especially a moving water source such as a river or stream, it increases the EMF's. It's important to know what is around a site before taking EMF readings for this reason. When you add humidity and other naturally occurring factors, it could also increase the likeliness of an EMF.

Iron and copper are good conductors and absorb energy from the surrounding environment and earth. In areas where there are heavy deposits of these minerals you will see high EMF's, such as, areas where there are iron mines. These are areas where EMF detectors are going to pick up EMF's easily. Baseline readings are not going to help in this situation. EMF's can move and fluctuate in these areas. So readings no matter when taken will not prove or disprove spirits existence.

Limestone and chalk work much like batteries in a way. They absorb and hang onto the energy of the environment and earth. Limestone tends to be very helpful in providing the earth with energy for trees and new plant life during the spring for this reason. Chalk is even a better energy absorber than limestone. Limestone is found in cement and cement bricks.

Other things you should be aware of with EMF detectors are wiring, heating pipes (especially iron ones), copper pipes, electrical appliances and hot water pipes. Any appliance or item that runs on electricity can create an EMF.

Even people and animals have EMF's surrounding them. Even guinea pigs could register. This is not a piece of equipment I personally use. I put this information here so that people have this information if they decide to use one and they will know what to look for.

My Theory on Spirits

We don't really have the answer to what they are for sure. There is no way to test this theory at this time. Nor, do I think it will be possible for quite some time. But, here is my theory.

Given that EMF (electro magnetic field) detectors do not always pick up the presence of a spirit, one would have to conclude that if they were a charged energy like electricity, we would be able to detect them all the time. We know that is not the case. So, spirits should be a neutral charge with all the electrons and protons in the molecules balancing the charges of positive and negative charges much like a piece of plastic or metal would be. So, spirits would be a state of matter that is neutrally charged. Which if they were, it would make spirits virtually impossible to pick up using an EMF detector.

Even humans are detectable with EMF detectors. We are like a machine where our bodies are producing energy and taking in energy all the time. All living things have some energy they emit.

So, what are the EMF detectors picking up?

OK, ruling out naturally occurring electro magnetic fields from iron, copper, limestone and a host of other elements that can create electro magnetic fields on their own, I believe what they pick up is not the spirit, but, the area that the mass of matter that a spirit is, affects. This would be in the idea of static electricity.

This would explain why EMF detectors do not always pick up a presence when there are experiences at a site where people have no doubt of a spiritual presence. But, sometimes do pick up something on some occasions. It would also explain fluctuating readings and not having consistent readings.

When matter attempts to occupy the same space it can cause a friction or rapid movement of the atoms in the surrounding area that make up the air. Much like walking across a carpet with socks and you get a shock from touching a doorknob. The movement of the mass into the area, (especially suddenly or when there is more than one mass) would cause all the atoms of the atmosphere of the air and area to move and crush the molecules against each other into a smaller space, disturbing the electrons in the atoms that make up the area. This would cause an electromagnetic field (energy).

Which means, what is detected by an EMF detector, is the area affected by the spirit, not the spirit itself.

Plasma is Close, but, not Quite Right

Plasma has many properties that are close to what a spirit is. Plasma can go through solid objects. How? This happens because the molecules to plasma are farther apart.

Because they are, it can go through the space of the atoms in a solid object. So passing through closed doors, walls or other objects is possible.

Plasma also has an outer skin, much like a force field that keeps it together. The atoms can stay together in a cohesive entity much like blowing a bubble. You see this phenomenon in plasma balls (not the lights you buy at Halloween).

They are also known as prairie lights. The problem with plasma is that it is very hot. (Think of lightening.) We know this is not the case with spirits. Plasma is also positively charged and will affect the area and create electromagnetic fields and should be detectable all the time. So you see the few problems with thinking spirits are plasma. It just does not work out fully.

If we think of spirits being a 6th state of matter, which is not yet known by science, it makes perfect sense. Not only would it be of no charge, but, has many of the characteristics of plasma that allow it to go into or pass through solid objects. If this matter had a skin like plasma, it would probably be much like an orb that so many people take pictures of. It would mean that it could maintain as a cohesive mass of matter, much like we are.

It could change shape and drift like a gas or go through solid objects. But, can also transform. After all, this would be a mass that had intelligence much like us. It's just a different state of matter that we can not detect…much like the air we breathe that we know is there, but can not see. And, that is gas, not a mass that has the molecules even further apart.

What about the Cold Spots?

Cold is the absence of energy (think of outer space). We know from many reports of spirits and my own experiences that spirits can manipulate energy around them. They can also move objects and things. So, not only could you be feeling the spirit themselves (cold spots), but, might be feeling the manipulation of that energy.

If a spirit is 'energy' then there would not also be a cold spot at the same spot. With all I've witnessed the cold spot is being picked up in an area not exactly the same spot as the EMF detector reading. Thus confirming that the energy is the area affected by the spirit, not the spirit itself, and the cold spot would be the mass that we call a spirit.

I write this to share with you my thoughts and inner knowledge I received.

Edward Shanahan - A Spiritual Observer.

Article & Image © 2009 Edward Shanahan and EdwardShanahan.com]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 11:06:48 +0000 http://www.thesupernaturalworld.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24488