Your Guide to the Paranormal

MSNBC says...

• 34 percent of Americans say they believe in ghosts
• 23 percent of people say they have been in the presence of a ghost
• 48 percent of people believe in extrasensory perception, or ESP
• 14 percent of people (mostly men) claim to have seen a UFO

From a CBS News Poll…

• Men are less likely to say they believe in ghosts; 38 percent of men said they believed in ghosts while 56 percent of women said they believe in ghosts
• More than one in five Americans claim to have seen a ghost

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California- San Jose State University : Hoover Hall, commonly known as "Haunted Hoover," was allegedly the scene of a student's murder when she was attempting to flee a rapist. According to many of the students, there are frequent knocks on the doors and bouncing noises throughout the hallway. In addition, the members of the Delta Gamma chapter claim the ghost of a former sorority member, Lori Potter, who died in a fire, haunts their street.

California – University of California at Berkeley : It is rumored that the Campanile Tower is haunted by the ghost of Pedro, a student who leapt from the tower to his death after having his thesis proposal rejected.

Minnesota – St. Olaf College : The campus is supposedly haunted by a figure wearing a red baseball cap, and there have been reported incidents of students being "brushed" when no one else was around. The dean of students even has a "ghost file" to record all supernatural activity.

Montana – University of Montana : The ghost of Jeanette Rankin, the first woman in the U.S. House of Representatives, is said to roam the dormitory that is named after her. According to legend, those who enter the dormitory, come upon her portrait, greet her, and strike up a conversation will find a present in the trash close by.

Texas – Our Lady of the Lake University : Rumor goes that previous inhabitants still walk the campus grounds, including an ancient janitor in the library basement and a headless ghost who wanders in the elementary school across the street. According to many, the ghost of a previous nun librarian still makes noisy appearances at night.

Utah – University of Utah : A ghost of an old Civil War soldier lives in the library's Special Collection Section. There have been reports of odd incidents – for example, some students have reported that they return to a once neat room to find it in disorder.

New York – New York University : The Brown Building of New York University was where the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place. 146 garment workers died from the fire or jumped to their deaths. Legend goes that the spirits and ghosts of these people still haunt the building at night.

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Appalachian GhostWalk : Appalachian GhostWalk offers a variety of different services for the curious tourist, including over ten haunted tours, anniversary and birthday parties, and even comprehensive "haunted" vacation packages that include discounts on the other area attractions. All tours are led by certified ghost hunters! Tours are $17 per person plus tax, but each tour lasts between two and four hours.

French Quarter Phantom Ghost Tours : Led by master storytellers, this tour is sure to be packed with entertainment and the paranormal. Both a Ghost and Vampire tour and a Cemetery Tour are offered; if tickets are booked in advance, customers will receive a $4 discount.

Ghosts of Gettysburg : Choose from several evening tours, including a bus tour, that guide the group through many sections of town that were once battlefields. Visitors might tour the Pennsylvania College campus (which served as a site for the dead and wounded) and even visit the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Street tours are usually priced $9.50 plus tax; bus tours $18.00 per adult

Ghost Tours of Galveston : This tour is continuously rated as the one the best in the United States. Conducted on Galveston Island, this two-hour tour includes related history, legends, and mysteries of the island. A new tour, "Dash Beardsley's Secret Society Cemetery Tour," is scheduled to open soon. Tours are $15 per adult.

Ghost Tours of Saint Augustine : Voted #1 guided tour in Florida by readers of Florida living, this tour offers a riding, walking, and even a sailing tour. All stories are thoroughly researched through historical records, interviews, and church interviews, in order to be as historically accurate as possible. Tours are $12 per person.

Haunted Vegas Tour and Show : This tour, in proper Vegas style, commences with the show "Haunted Vegas" hosted by Zamora (from Ripley's TV show) before the bus tour. The bus tour then proceeds to the most famous haunted locations of Vegas, such as the "Motel of Death, where celebrity deaths took place.

Spellbound Tours : Mollie Stewart, a licensed ghost hunter supernatural expert, personally leads tours of Salem, Massachusetts, the site of the notorious Salem witch trials. Visitors will receive the opportunity to visit places like a haunted jail and an original "witch dungeon" from 1692. Ghost sightings are a frequent occurrence, so bring a camera! $13 per adult.

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The Haunted Zone : A self-described "paranormal community" that provides a setting for people to share their experiences of the paranormal with others. Their main mission is to offer "paranormal/spiritual advice to those who are seeking."

The NYC Paranormal Meetup : This organization holds monthly meetings where its members listen to one others' experiences and provide support. The meetings allow members to receive guidance from their fellow members who have had comparable paranormal experiences.

Organization for Paranormal Understanding and Support : This organization, better known as OPUS, is dedicated to promoting understanding and acceptance of paranormal activity. Opus has a clinical section on its site, a recent news area, an online library, and useful links.

Paranormal 101 (P.I.S.T.) : Paranormal 101 is a group "dedicated to seeking answers." Utilizing research, investigations, and experiments the group aims to find answers to paranormal experiences.

The Paranormal Church : The Paranormal Church, Founded by Reverend Motal, serves as a Christian support group for those who have had paranormal experiences. The site offers online sermons regarding paranormal experiences and includes a forum, chat and video.

Paranormal Meetup : Paranormal Meet-up lists paranormal meetings around the world. It also has a search engine so visitors can search for local meet-up groups.

Philadelphia Paranormal Group (PPG) : The PPG has regular meet-ups scheduled around Philadelphia to hold discussions concerning paranormal experiences and ghosts. Members share experiences, meet new people, network, and help plan group expeditions.

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American Paranormal Investigations : The API's mission statement is to "investigate, document, and provide help and intervention with paranormal and supernatural phenomena to clients in need." A team of investigators performs a preliminary interview and research, investigation of the specified area, and then does a follow up. All services are free of charge.

Oregon Paranormal Investigations : Oregon Paranormal Investigations is comprised of teams of experienced investigators whose goal is to provide assistance to those experiencing paranormal phenomena. All of the investigations are based on physical data collected through monitoring equipment; If appropriate, the team will perform cleansings, spirit rescues, eviction/removal, and blessings.

Paranormal Investigation of NYC : This is both a research and investigation group serving New York City, Long Island, and the surrounding areas. They are involved in paranormal investigations including ghost hunting, spirit contact, and hypnosis. All services are completely confidential and free of charge.

Washington State Paranormal Investigations and Research : This organization dedicates itself to investigating paranormal phenomena and searching for scientific evidence of other realms. Each member of the group is a trained professional.

World Paranormal Investigations : World Paranormal Investigations is based out of Northeast Ohio and it runs two divisions: one in the United States and the other in the United Kingdom. Each team is comprised of several investigators, physics, medium, and technical specialists.

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Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research, Inc .: AIPR, Inc. is an organization that aims to obtain and analyze information on parapsychology, as well as put on fundraising and social events to promote the subject. It publishes articles in its Australian Journal of Parapyschology.

Koestler Parapsychology Unit : The Koestler Unit is a section of the psychology department at the University of Edinburgh that focuses on parapsychology research, including paranormal experiences, psychic ability, and the "psychology of anomalous experiences."

The Paranormal Research Society : The Paranormal Research Society, informally known as PRS, was originally founded by a few undergraduates at Pennsylvania State University. Its mission is to "scientifically and spiritually explore" the paranormal and it is the host of the annual UNIV-CON, one of the largest paranormal conferences.

Parapsychological Associatio n : The Parapsychological Association is a group of scientists dedicated to studying and researching psychic experiences. As experiences such psychokinesis, telepathy, psychic healing, and precognition challenge humanity's current understanding of the physical world, the organization's mission is to "achieve a scientific understanding of these experiences." The website includes information about the organization and access to journals, articles and surveys.

Parapsychology Foundation : This non-profit foundation's main mission is to "support the scientific investigation of psychic phenomena" and serve as a source of information for the public. The organization is involved in a wide variety of fields, including giving grants, publishing material in the International Journal of Parapyschology , and an outreach program.

The Parapsychology Research Group at Liverpool Hope University : This group is a group of faculty at Liverpool Hope University who are interested in the connections between the body, mind, and spirit. The university offers courses on parapsychology as part of its psychology program.

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Get Ghost Gear : Get Ghost Gear holds a large amount of information on ghost hunting equipment, including information about all types of sensory meters and dowsing equipment. Under each heading, there is a detailed description of the different types of equipment, its specific uses, and links for purchase.

The GhostHunter Store : In addition to offering an extensive supply of ghost hunting equipment, this site also offers books, DVDs, and software for education on ghost hunting. All items are accompanied with descriptions and photographs, as well as a direct link for purchase.

Ghost-Mart : An online store with extensive selection of ghost hunting equipment, including wholesale and bulk purchase for some items. The website also sells paranormal event tickets, paranormal clothing, and home décor.

Ghost Stop : This website offers all of the basic ghost hunting equipment, including pre-owned gear. Each item has a link for purchase online.

Paranormal Research Equipment : Paranormal Research Equipments lists over 20 tools used to hunt ghosts. These include everything from a thermal imaging camera to temperature sensing equipment. The site includes a link to where you can buy the item online.

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Talk Paranormal : A forum dedicated to the discussion of all supernatural activity, including ghosts, hauntings, demons, supernatural healing, vampires, Ouija boards, and reincarnation.

Paranormal Forums : S hare your own paranormal experiences or learn about those of others' – this forum covers almost every paranormal subject, including extraterrestrial life and "related science and theories."

The Supernatural World : A great resource for news articles related to paranormal activity. There is also an extensive forum to discuss these articles and other related topics.

Paranormal Forums : Thousands of topics covering every subject concerning the paranormal.

Discuss the Paranormal : This forum is very thorough and organized, with three main categories (news and current events, the paranormal, and other). Members may also create their own polls to pose to the other forum users.

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True Paranormal Tales : This site hosts a multitude of personal stories fitting into many categories (Dreams, Ghosts, Haunted Dolls, Demons, and Shadow Creatures, to name just a few). Users may even submit their own story to the website.

True Ghost Tales : True Ghost Tales has a section specifically for ghost stories (which readers may submit). In addition, there are educational articles about many paranormal subjects, from aliens to werewolves to fairies and elves.

The Beyond: True Paranormal and Unexplained Stories : This site is home to a wide variety of stories, sorted by author and category. It also includes up-to-date news articles on paranormal activity. The website emphasizes the veracity of their tales.

Ghost Source : Ghost Source, in addition to hosting a wide variety of ghost stories, is also a source of books, entertainment, and field guides on the subject. All of the stories are reader submitted.

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Children of the Grave (2007) : This Booth brothers documentary explores the existence of ghost children by visiting haunted orphanages and asylums, uncovering the untold stories of children of the past. It was the winner the title of "Best Paranormal Documentary" for 2008.

Ghost Adventures (2007) : Ghost Adventures, the documentary, was the basis for the Travel Channel's series "Ghost Adventures," which premiered in October 2008. It follows professional ghost hunters Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin as they investigate paranormal activity in Nevada's Virginia City. In addition to being nominated for Best Picture by the Eerie Horror Film Festival, it won the title of "Best Documentary" at the New York International Film and Video Festival.

A Haunting in Connecticut (2009 ) : Part of the Discovery Channel Series "A Haunting," this documentary follows the story of the Campbell family, who move to a charming new Connecticut home. However, the family soon finds that their house has a disturbing history – it used to be a funeral parlor where the owner's mystic son aided in the spiritual passage of spirits.

14 Degrees : 14 Degrees, written and produced by Michael J. Baker, explores the bizarre and thrilling life of paranormal investigation. Traveling across New England, the film interviews some of the top paranormal researchers, psychics, and scientists.

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