Excerpt: "Deliver Us from Evil: A New York City Cop Investigates the Supernatural"

An excerpt via Amazon, demonologists, ghost hunters and parapsychologists please take note!

"Despite “Virginia’s” reassuring remark, Joe and I already recognized her for what she was—a demon operating under an alias. But there was one mistake in this masquerade that revealed the supposed human spirit was literally blowing smoke: It took the form of a woman only from the waist up. That’s typical of the demonic; they always give themselves away with some abnormality of appearance when they try to manifest themselves as human beings.

Also characteristic of an infernal force was the demon’s divide-and-conquer strategy. By showing itself to only one person, it sowed the seeds of panic, confusion, and self-doubt. Is this really happening—or am I just imagining it? victims in such cases will ask themselves. Often they are reluctant to tell their friends or family what’s happening to them, fearing that people will think they’ve lost their mind. Instead, they withdraw into themselves, feeling more and more alone in their bizarre ordeal. This, of course, is the goal of the demonic, since self-doubt and emotional turmoil eat away at their prey’s will, paving the way for possession.

So far, this is all standard operating procedure for the demonic—but there was an unusual twist in this case. Rather than wear at Gabby’s nerves with the unsettling ploys of infestation—the first stage of diabolical activity in most cases, marked by such unnerving events as midnight knockings, peculiar phone calls, or tormented animal cries—the satanic spirit was hell-bent on full-blown oppression from the start. Oppression is the second stage of diabolical activity, and involves terrifying mental and physical attacks on the victim. The way it behaved in Gabby’s bedroom reminded me a little of police calls I’ve responded to where people are actually held prisoner in their own home, because they invited someone to stay with them for a short time, then had their guest take over their house.

This “guest” was quite charming at first. The next day, according to Gabby, the spirit returned in broad daylight, while she was down in the basement. “My attention was directed to a large mirror we have hanging there, and in it I saw Virginia,” she reported. “Again she said, ‘Parents, help,’ then told me she’d been in finishing school abroad and had followed her parents here. In quaint, old-fashioned speech, she said, ‘What manner of place is this?’ Upon looking around the room and at me, she asked, ‘What manner of dress is this?’ I answered that this is how we dress in the 1990s, but she insisted that the year was 1901. I felt no fear of her, and we had a lengthy conversation.”

Link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250059496/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250059496&linkCode=as2&tag=phantomsandmonsters-20&linkId=3IE55QBOS6EBGGLZ

Paranormal Research Notes - Noises In The Attic And Other Notes

Paranormal research notes: thermal expansion and contraction; old pipes; water heaters; other housing problems.

Mistaken for: Tree's falling on houses, doors and windows slamming shut, animal and human intruders, ghosts, hauntings, paranormal activity, etc.

Still not researched yet: footsteps, voices, shadow people, moving/falling/stacking objects, dolls moving on their own, various smells, electrical/electronics problems, feelings and sensations of being watched/touched, coming down with medical problems, including dreams and nightmares, cold spots, etc.

Note: Research over period of 1 year or more; take notes, ask questions to experts in many areas; further research must be done in these areas.

Possible causes: Human/animal, building related (including, but not limited to, mold, mildew, asbestos, carbon monoxide, natural gas, other causes, etc.), auditory hallucinations/problems, wind carrying sound, sleep paralysis, night terrors, human brain functions recalling memory's/playing tricks, faulty electric wiring, pranks, hoaxes, medical/psychological related, stress, depression, medications, drug use, alcohol and other known and unknown factors.

Percentage these events worldwide are of a genuine paranormal nature:

15-25% in my estimate.

Noises In The Attic - Trained Eye Home Inspection

UFO Sighting Photos In Chile Confirmed By Government - inquisitr.com

"A UFO sighting in Chile has been officially confirmed by a department of the government as not being produced by meteorological phenomena or any other known human-made object.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, a Mississippi hunting camera took a video of a UFO beaming down lights onto deer way out in the middle of the nowhere. The owners of the infrared were not exclaiming conspiracy theories about little green men, but they also couldn’t figure out the strange light projected by the UFO could possibly be. Since then the number of UFO sightings in 2014 have gone up significantly, with strange objects being caught on video in the United States (including a recent one in Texas), Canada, England, and the Netherlands.

These particular high quality UFO photos were taken above the Collahuasi copper mine, which is located in the northern regions of Chile. In April of 2013 four engineers say they witnessed a disc-shaped object hover 2000 feet above them for about an hour without making a sound before disappearing to the east. They described the unidentified flying object as a “a flattened disc, of brilliant color, with a diameter of 5 to 10 meters [16 to 32 feet]. It performed ascending, descending and horizontal movements in short lengths, about 600 meters above the ground.” Unfortunately, the four witnesses do not want to be associated with the UFO sighting and they have refused to talk about it further."

For more info, see here:

UFO Sighting In Chile Confirmed By Government

UFO on Mars? Daily Mail

"This latest ‘discovery’ was taking by the two cameras on the mast of the rover, its head and neck, known as Navcam Left and Navcam Right.

The images were taken by the rover on 20 June, 665 Martian days since Curiosity first landed on Mars in August 2011."

For more info, see this article here from The Daily Mail:

UFO on Mars? Daily Mail

Discovery of Hammer of Thor - Epoch Times

"The discovery of a 10th century Viking artifact resembling the Hammer of Thor has solved a long-running mystery surrounding more than 1,000 ancient amulets found across Northern Europe, according to a report in Discovery News.

The relics, known as the Mjöllnir amulets, appear to depict hammers, which historians have linked to the Norse god Thor. However, this could not be concluded with certainty as their shapes are not conclusive, and none of them contained inscriptions revealing their identity.

However, another similar pendant has been found in Købelev, on the Danish island of Lolland, which is the first one to be discovered with an inscription. The runic text reads “Hmar x is”, which translates to “this is a hammer”.  Cast in bronze, and likely plated with silver, tin and gold, the 1,100-year-old pendant shows that Thor’s myth deeply influenced Viking jewellery."

Also:

"According to Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing and fertility. Thor is a prominently mentioned god throughout the recorded history of the Germanic peoples, from the Roman occupation of regions of Germania, to the tribal expansions of the Migration Period, to his high popularity during the Viking Age, when, in the face of the process of the Christianization of Scandinavia, the Mjölnir amulets were worn in defiance and Norse pagan personal names containing the name of the god bear witness to his popularity."

Discovery of Hammer of Thor

My Own Paranormal Experiences...

I've always been into the paranormal, ghosts, UFO's and cryptozoology (Think of actor Dan Aykroyd  from Ghostbusters and I'm an Aspie like him as well) etc. since childhood and I've had strange things happen not only to me but in my family as well, such as the following and some of it relates to my mother and family, not just me:

1. My mother has always had premonitions and dreams of airplanes crashing or earthquakes and
sometimes they would come true the nest day or even just hours after she had them when watching
the news on TV.

2. My father died when my mother was 4 months pregnant with me. When I was only a year old,
maybe younger, I would tell my mom something about my dad, even though I never knew him
like "I saw dad the other day" and "I talked with daddy" similar stuff. A psychic on the radio
also told my mother one time that I was the reincarnation of my father! (I do have a memory
of wandering around these empty, silent, somewhat dark and creepy halls in a hospital, like near a morgue area, this memory may have taken place after my dad died and before I was born, I remember it starting
from a young age and I feel the hospital is either Little Company of Mary in Evergreen Park, IL
or Christ Hospital in Oaklawn, IL).

3. When my mother was sitting alone one evening or night at a park the swing next to her started swinging
by itself. No one else was present (I was several feet away playing I think) no wind, nothing. It was Summer
I think as well.

4. My mother whom is very religious once had a dream about The Virgin Mary and she was surrounded by
pure gold and she also spoke to my mother as well. This took place in my step-grandpa Ed's house in
Mt. Greenwood at the time in his basement I think where my mom was sleeping.

5. Some of my other family members (they were from Scotland/Ireland/Lithuanian on my mom's side
and German on my father's side and in terms of ancestry as well) would pass away with people
present like friends and other family members witnessing a vapor of some sort come out of their
chest and going upward then vanishing.

6. I remember as a child running in the dark at night through where I lived at, just for fun, but it always
seemed that I was chasing something, maybe imaginary, maybe not. I have to wonder  if I was chasing
ghosts or demons or if it was just my young mind at work?

7. I was living with my mother at my step-grandpa Ed's & grandma's house in Chicago's beautuil Mt. Greenwood  area (a few blocks away from St. Xavier University) and in the middle of the night one time looked out into Ed's small backyard through a bedroom window and I swear I saw or at least thought I saw 3 dead dogs, all white in color. I told woke up my mom, told her but she didn't see anything.

8. Strange faces in tree's at my Godparents house (Peggy and Martin) in Palos Hill's, IL in their average to moderate sized backyard and it was behind this house (accross their backyard) where a woman neighbor was murdered one Summer in 1995 by her husband. Being Catholic, Martin put up a cross in  his yard to protect against evil spirits. Still... Strange. Maybe my own imagination and mind at work. Then again, maybe
not. Who knows?

9. One time in the middle of the night when I was living in Midlothian, IL our microwave which a Pastor friend brought us (it was used but almost like new, as our old one had broke so she donated it) read 666
on it. I quiackly erased it, unplugged it and maybe said a prayer or two. I was kinda freaked out for a
few weeks after that. It was dark in the kitchen and that was the only light on besides the moonlight
illuminating the small kitchen area through a window.

10. In the same Midlothian apartment I saw a shadow, a man in orange one night walking through my room
then vanishing into a wall. I ran so fast out of my bedroom I hurt my shoulder by banging it into a wall!

11. A strange whistliling sound (maybe an auditiry hallucination?) that I've heard for many years throughout my life of a man whistling. Sometimes it loud, sometimes it's soft. It really creeps me out when I hear it sometimes though.

12. Feelings of being touched, tickled, patted on the back, hair touched and sometimes screaming when I wake up (see my thoughts on #11 above) that I had for a while. I don't exp. them anymnore which is good.

I've got more stories but those are mainly non-paranormal in nature (including dreams and nightmares but excluding dreams of dead relatives) like what you'd see on Reddit assorted along stories of the paranormal.

Also: I did see a UFO once over Midlothian, IL and one through a window at a Walgreens in
Oaklawn (maybe Chicago Ridge?) during the 90's. They looked like round metallic objects just floating there in the air. These sightings occurred during the daytime btw (and one time in Midlothian I also saw a fighter jet pass close to my apt. building window as I lived on the 3rd floor which was cool!)

So there you have it! These are my stories.... -Rob

p.s. It is important to be aware of medical conditions (I havee Type 1 Diabetes myself since age 12 now almost 30) and know the basics of psychology, general science, building construction, logic, critical thinking, forensics, CSI, investigation and other areas when dealing with any typr of paranormal event in order to rule it out.

NASA’s “Flying Saucer” Successfully Passes Flight Test -technobuffalo

"High over the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, NASA’s LDSD “flying saucer” spacecraft traveled at almost four times the speed of sound as it raced upwards toward the heavens. At approximately 180,000 feet, NASA successfully performed the craft’s first crucial test imperative for a possible future Mars mission. But not everything went according to plan.

After deploying the craft’s doughnut-shaped inflatable device, dubbed Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (SIAD), NASA was able to slow the saucer’s descent to a more manageable 2.5x the speed of sound. But upon deploying the LDSD’s giant parachute—the second and most crucial part of NASA’s test launch—the chute became tangled, and the spacecraft eventually splashed down into the Pacific Ocean. It was supposed to land gently.

If there was payload on that craft—or worse, humans—the mission would have been an unmitigated disaster. But luckily this was just a test, and NASA can use that data to improve upon the LDSD’s systems. The agency is using a parachute system that dates back to the 1970s, but with heavier payloads and a larger overall chute—about 36 meters in diameter.

Stating the obvious, Dan Coatta, one of the mission specialists, said it appeared as though the chute didn’t “deploy that well.” NASA tested the LDSD technology at extremely high altitudes because they’re most similar to the upper atmosphere of Mars."

-Read more here:

NASA’s “Flying Saucer” Flight Test

Ghost-Hunting Mistakes: Science and Pseudoscience in Ghost Investigations - Skeptical Inquirer

"Ghost investigations can be deceptively tricky endeavors. Very ordinary events can be-and indeed have been-mistaken for extraordinary ones, and the main challenge for any ghost investigator is separating the facts from a jumble of myths, mistakes, and misunderstandings. It can be very easy to accidentally create or misinterpret evidence: Is that flash of light on the wall a flashlight reflection-or a ghost? Are the faint sounds recorded in an empty house spirit voices-or a neighbor's radio? It's not always clear, and investigators must be careful to weed out the red herrings and focus on the verified information".

Later the article states after talking in length about many subjects related to this, even the hit TV show
Ghost Hunters (i.e.The Atlantic Paranormal Society TAPS, I think):

"However, in a stakeout the ghost hunter cannot control all, or even most, of the variables and conditions in the experiment he's conducting. It's important to remember that nearly anything that anyone thinks is odd for any reason can be offered as evidence of a ghost. There is an impossibly broad spectrum of phenomena that have been claimed as signs of ghosts, including lights, shadows, noises, silence, heat, cold, moving objects, smells, uneasiness, and so on. If the presence of a ghost could be narrowed down to a specific phenomenon-for example, if everyone agreed (or it had been somehow proven) that ghosts give off red light or a certain high-pitched sound-then the problem of not having a controlled location would be greatly reduced. An investigator wouldn't need to rule out every possible source of sound, smell, light, etc., but instead would need to rule out merely any sources of red light or high-pitched sounds. But because just about any phenomenon can be attributed to ghosts, there is no way to rule out or control for the conditions. A ghost stakeout or lockdown is a completely unscientific waste of time.

Ultimately, of course, whether ghost hunters choose to use scientific methods and strategies is up to them. I personally don't care either way; it's not my time, effort, and money that's being wasted by doing fundamentally flawed investigation. But over the years I have gotten results and solved many cases using scientific techniques."

This is interesting and true from what an intelligent, well educated and a bit eccentric U.S. Chaplain named Joe once told me regarding hauntings on the paranormal in general:

"1. Assuming that no specialized knowledge or expertise is needed to effectively investigate ghosts.

One of the most common assumptions among ghost investigators is that in the paranormal field “there are no experts.” If there are no experts, then of course anyone can effectively investigate ghosts. Almost all ghost hunters are amateur, part-time hobbyists, and they come from all walks of life. On Ghost Hunters, two ordinary guys who work as plumbers during the day are touted as experts on ghost investigations, although none of the team members has any background or training in science, investigation, forensics, or any other field that might help solve mysteries.

Why it's a mistake: Paranormal investigation requires no certificate; anyone can do it with no training, knowledge, or expertise whatsoever. Whether they are effective or not-actually able to solve mysteries-is another matter entirely. Effectively investigating claims and solving mysteries does require some experience and expertise-specifically in investigation, logic, critical thinking, psychology, science, forensics, and other areas."

The article then states before it closes:

"If ghost hunters don't care about performing scientifically valid investigations and are happy with the level of evidence they are getting, they are welcome to ignore this information. But they can't complain that no one offered a science-based paradigm for paranormal investigation. I believe that if ghosts exist, they are important and deserve to be taken seriously. Most of the efforts to investigate ghosts so far have been badly flawed and unscientific-and, not surprisingly, fruitless. If investigation is to be done, it should be done right."

Note: Really good article from The Skeptical Inquirer and I will look for more of these articles that take a more open minded and scientific approach to not only the paranormal but also UFO's, Cryptoxoology, etc. and are not afraid to point out mistakes people in these fields make but also other issues as well.-Rob 

Ghost-Hunting Mistakes: Science and Pseudoscience in Ghost Investigations - Skeptical Inquirer

http://www.csicop.org/si/show/ghost-hunting_mistakes_science_and_pseudoscience_in_ghost_investigations