SHADOW GHOST PICTURE   08/30/04

This photo was taken by & submitted by a reputable person who is know n to us.   For their privacy they have asked to remain anonymous.   THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN WITH A DISPOSABLE 35MM CAMERA WITH FLASH.  There was nothing blocking the flash or the ceiling light in the room.   The ceiling light near the collection is actually in front of, & to the right of the person taking the picture.    There was no natural explanation for the shadow,  & other pictures at taken at the same time did not have this effect.

This picture was taken of a tractor & farm collection that had belonged to some one who passed away this year.   It looks like they were still fond of it enough to pose with it for a picture!   Good example of a shadow ghost.

My adopted granddaughter lived across the street from me and as small kids do she would occasionally talk to (so we thought at the time) her imaginary friend. My granddaughter always talked to one in particular, but it was never normal kid conversations, it was always specific with my granddaughter telling us that her friend wanted things such as lights turned on/off stereos adjusted etc. and we usually just went along with her imaginary friend thought.

  On Christmas morning (2000) we took pictures of her coming down the stairs and going to her big present that she had got. After they were developed we were shocked when my granddaughter walked over and looked at the pictures and pointed to the one and said "see there's my friend" needless to say all of us were shocked, we had noticed the strange thing on the pic but her comment had took us all by surprise.

  My granddaughter was only 3 1/2 years old at the time, and so we all really have any reason to doubt her, and we all agree that the picture didn't lie. Needless to say her family moved out right after that but her other grandmother and her uncle still live in the house. They still encounter things there but not anything like what happened on Christmas morning with my granddaughter.

  As for my granddaughter, she still occasionally "talks" to friends she makes but never like she did at the other house. Although there have been a few other pic's of her that we've taken that show strange things on them. But we all agree that her Christmas visit was the an experience none of us will ever forget. (The house is in Northern Iowa)     {Click on the thumbnails to enlarge pictures}

It is a bank in the shape of a parking meter, and honestly I don't remember what color it was.

 However I did go back and take the photos and put them back on my computer and then went into my other pic program and had them changed to a grayscale version and also a negative version, and then I noticed what you meant about the color difference on the bank.  

I want to share something interesting that happened this month while I was staying at the Crowne Plaza Five Seasons in Cedar Rapids.  I was in room 1014 with my husband, 2 kids, and my niece.  My little one slept between my husband and I.  I was having a very hard time being comfortable and relaxed.  I just couldn't sleep.  I was wide awake.  Out of the corner of my eye, I thought my little one was standing up in the bed.  I called out her name and tried to grab her, twice.  My arms went right through the spot where I thought she was.  I patted around on the bed to see if she was laying down.  I found her.  When I looked back to where I thought she was standing, I saw a "ghost".  I think it was a woman wearing a long nightgown.  She was standing there as though the bed wasn't there (through it).  Then it faded slowly away and it was dark.  I have never really known if I believe in ghosts, but now I do.  I wasn't scared at all.  None of the stereotypically cold or creepy feelings.  I thought it was kind of cool.  I have been telling my friends about it.  Has anything been reported at this hotel before?  I'm not sure how old the hotel is.  

 

THE GHOST BY THE GARAGE   Posted 5/16

{This account was submitted by Kathy in Minnesota.   This event occurred in Wisconsin to her Dad, Jack.    In case it might be of help to anyone else, I have included our replies to her in italics.   Hopefully Kathy will keep us posted if he observes anything new! }

I've been searching the internet for a week, trying to find someone to contact. Can you help? About two weeks ago, my dad saw a ghost. He lives in northern Wisconsin , in a house he built in 1975. My grandmother passed away last year. Two weeks ago, my father was moving around some stuff in the garage, including going through some of my grandma's things. He removed a mirror of hers and hung it in the garage. He then went to hang up an extra extension cord. When he turned to push the garage door out, there was a man standing there, about 4 foot from my dad. Dad tells me he was wearing 50's type clothing-a grey sweatshirt with red sleeves and khaki colored pants. The man was late 20's, early 30's, with blue eyes. He's pretty sure he said something along the lines of "geez, you startled me". The man took two steps backwards, turned to his left and promptly disappeared. Dad tells me as he turned to the left, his cheek was already blurring, and he couldn't see feet. : My dad did not recognize this ghost, and had not seen him prior to this encounter, and he has not shown up in the two weeks since. 

What next? Is it possible my dad let this thing out from something in my grandma's things? Any insight you may have would be greatly appreciated! I live in Minnesota , my dad, as I said above, lives in Wisconsin . If you can't answer or help, do you know of a Wisconsin organization I could contact? 

CIGHT

 A few questions: The ghost was inside the garage, I take it?   Was it the ghost who spoke?   What kind of lighting was there in the garage at the time?  Was it dim or was an overhead light on?    How old was the mirror that belonged to your Grandmother?   Did she purchase it, inherit it, or was it a gift?

Remember that the age & time period of clothing that the spirit appeared in doesn't always reflect the time of death.   Spirits can appear as they were at the time of life that was the happiest for them.   Your Father might look through some old family photo albums.  Perhaps this was an old friend or other relative to his Mother.   Depending on the history of the mirror, it may have been a previous owner or a person who gave it to her. 

If it's unrelated to the mirror:  Has he had any neighbors pass away recently?    If they appeared younger than he knew them, he may not recognize them.    Or possibly some one tied to the land where your Father built the house. 

Just because your Father hadn't seen the ghost earlier, doesn't mean they hadn't been around. 

Ask him to think about if he's had anything happen that was unusual that he might have shrugged off at the time.

He could also try taking photos in the garage & house to see if he gets any unusual results. 

I hope this helps.  We'd be interested to know if your Father discovers anything more or sees his visitor again!  

 The ghost was outside the garage. My dad saw it at around 2 in the afternoon and it was a sunny, clear day. It was my dad who spoke, not the ghost. He had thought it was a real person.  

And from what I've read on the 'net, I take it seeing a "full body apparition" isn't all that common? Or seeing one in broad daylight?

None of the neighbors has passed recently, and the land where dad built the house was owned by my great uncle prior to my dad building on the site. No one lived there or in that area prior to that. This man, according to dad, did not look like a relative.

I talked to him tonight, and he stated that nothing out of the ordinary had been happening lately. I told him to take some pictures around the garage and around grandma's stuff (including a shot of himself), and we'll see what comes up. If I see any "orbs", or anything else, I'll give a shout. At the very least, I'll forward you a shot of the garage, just to help you visualize the place. I should add that when I talked to him right after he saw the ghost, he did remember one instance where he was looking all over for something in his workshop, only to walk into his basement shop and the thing he was looking for (he couldn't remember exactly what tool it had been) was laying out on his table saw, like someone had left it for him. (He hadn't had the tool out prior to this.) This was at least two months prior to the current incident. Hopefully this means its a friendly ghost?

 CIGHT:  I have heard many instances of ghosts appearing in reflections, but not being there when you turn to look.   I don't think it's a more likely form, but it is common.   Much like spirits you see from the corner of your eye, but not when looked upon directly, or ones that show up on film, but can't been seen otherwise.  

I agree, it is not as common to see a full body apparition, especially in broad daylight.   Most seem to materialize in dim light, to darkness.   Or will appear some what transparent.  But, then again, it make you wonder how often ghosts might appear as solid humans, but nobody knows they are seeing a ghost!  

The incident with the missing item being placed in plain sight may be related.  {or it may have been your Grandmother helping out!}    He might test the mirror theory by taking it down & storing it again for a few days or weeks, & then hanging it back up later.   He could then observe if anything new happened as a result of it being taken down or hung up again.   With out knowing the history of the mirror, it's hard to say otherwise if it is related.

 

Judging from the clothes and the vintage of dress the ghost wore and the mirror incidence,  I'd say the mirror which belonged to the grandmother and the ghost are connected somehow.  Possibly the mirror was a gift from a friend back in the 50's - 60's. Be interested in finding out more about the mirror.  If the ghost is helpful, then I would not be concerned.  Sometimes unpacking mementos and putting them back on display can trigger things to happen, similar to home remodeling.  Very interesting story.  

You might also be interested in researching if there are any local streets or highways nearby.  Possibly our ghost may have been a vehicular victim in the past and the accident occurred nearby or on the property when his Uncle owned the land.

FUNERAL HOME HOUSE   Posted 4/18/04

(This account was submitted by a website visitor & is published here with their permission.    For further assistance we recommend the L.I.F.E. Foundation & Shadowlands websites.   If anyone has had a similar experience & has any more suggestions for these people, please send an e-mail to us & we will forward it to them.  Thank you.)

I am writing for my niece and have a question about what is likely paranormal activity.  Would like this to be highly confidential.  My niece (who is expecting), her husband and their 2 1/2 year old daughter live in a house that used to be a funeral home (which was disclosed only as they had the pen ready to sign the paper) and approximately 1 month ago tore a wall out in their bedroom.  Earlier this week the 2 1/2 year old was playing upstairs in the bedroom and began screaming loudly.  When my niece found her she was visibly shaking and starting at the bed.  She told her mom there was a lady with black socks above the bed and that she was drowning. My niece said her daughter likely didn't know what drowning meant.  The little girl would not turn her back to the bed, so she backed out of the bedroom and ran down the stairs.  She was visibly jumpy that day and refused to go to bed that night.  She feel asleep on the couch and they then took her up to her bed.  She woke up during the night screaming ( she always sleeps through the night) and when my niece went to comfort her, she wanted to know where daddy was.  When my niece told her he was in bed she became upset and said he needed to be out of that room.  The next morning the little girl seemed okay and they were upstairs again.  She was in the parents bedroom and again began screaming.  When my niece went to her she would not talk, but again backed out of the bedroom and all the way to the top of the stairs and bolted down them.  My niece  and her daughter have stayed with her mom for the past couple of days.  The little girl will not go in her home and states the house is "scary".     My niece recalls two other instances in retrospect that she now questions.  One in which she was lying on the couch with the little girl ( she was only 1 year old then) and the little girl was looking across the room giggling and waving.  Mom asked her what she was waving at but at that time she was too little to really communicate anything meaningful.  Another time she told her mom a man was there.  Both times my niece wrote it off as the little girls imagination.    They would like this to be kept confidential and likely will not want an investigation as they do not think they want to stay in the house and may move.  Any advice you can offer on dealing with this would be helpful.  Thanks.

HAUNTED NEWTON APARTMENT  (posted 3/29/04)

Hello,
I found your website while surfing the net earlier this week and would like to share an experience with you. I once  lived right next door to the KCOB radio building when it was located at 611 1st Ave. East.

This was in the mid 80's. At the time, I roomed with two other individuals.  During the time that we lived in the apartment next door to the radio station where, unexplainable things were happening. such as cupboard and refrigerator doors being open when we returned to the apartment.

At first I dismissed this as my roommates being lazy or forgetful. One night, while they were both working, I left for a few minutes and found the cupboard doors open once again and also silverware laying out on the table. I decided to run a little experiment of my own. I made sure that all the doors were closed to the cupboards and the refrigerator. I left the apartment and locked the door.

I subsequently went outdoors, and walked around for a while, all the time keeping the door to the apartment house in full view. After a few minutes, I returned and found all of the cupboard doors and the refrigerator open again. There was also silverware out on the table.

Over a period of several months, things like this kept happening. We would make sure the curtains were closed only to pull out of the drive and around the corner and looking up towards the apartment, we saw the curtains were open.

There was one incident when the three of us all left together. We made sure the place was locked and upon our return, the door was unlocked and open. Once inside, we found the kitchen table was upside down!

Another time, we were going out to play basketball and I couldn't find one of my basketball shoes. The three of us looked all over the apartment, but the shoe was nowhere around. in the middle of the bed, was my shoe!

I remember conducting a crude experiment one night while my roommates were working. I set up a tape recorder on the entertainment center, turned on the record button and left. I came back 45 minutes later, only to find the recorder had been shut off before the tape ended.    On the segment of tape, just before the spot where it was stopped, you could clearly hear footsteps getting closer to the mic. and then the tape was blank from there on.   Nowhere on the tape could you hear sounds  the door being opened, just the footsteps.

I was wondering if you knew of the history of the residence and if you have ever heard of anything supernatural about it?   I don't recall the exact address, but the apartment is just off Cardinal Court behind the Swank Real Estate Building.

These occurrences started after my roommate had punched a hole in the wall. It was as if he had let out some imprisoned entity.

A few months after we had moved out, I ran into the people that occupied the same apartment after the three of us had moved out and we started talking. Without me saying anything about the strange occurrences, she brought up the question, "did you have any strange things happening to you while you lived there?"    I responded by asking, "you mean things like cupboard doors being left open and silverware being left out on the table and there was no one home at the time?"    She said, "yes, that and more. That's why we are moving."
To make a long story short, the strange occurrences continued after my roommates and I left the apartment.
One quick note: never at anytime that I lived there did I feel threatened. It was more like someone playing pranks. This lead me to believe that maybe it was the spirit of a child.

GRANDPA NEVER LEFT - FEB. 2004:   Here's a story by Steven Tracy,  who lives in an Iowa town close to the Missouri border.

As far as experiences go, I've had a few, but I would like to tell you one that happened to my mother. Last August my mom's dad, which we all called Opa (german grandpa) passed away due to cancer. About a month and a half ago, my mother went to see her mom. My Oma (german grandma) lives in Kansas by the way. Anyway, one morning my mom was lying in bed down there and heard a knock on the bedroom door. So my mom got out of bed and went to the door and opened it. No one was there! Her boyfriend then asked her who knocked, so he even heard it! So then my mom went to see if it was Oma, but she was sound asleep. My mom checked the front door and back door and they both were locked and even with the chain lock still on them, so no one could of came in! Also, their was no one else in the house but my Oma, my mom
and her boyfriend. Later that morning, my mom asked Oma if she knocked on her door earlier and my Oma said no. She then told my mom it was Opa. She says that he will turn lights off and on, turn on the t.v.
downstairs, and you can even still smell his cigarette smoke at times. And let me tell you. My family were
the least likely people to ever believe anything paranormal. Now they know Opa is still with them.

GETTYSBURG GHOSTS  2002:  Here are a couple of interesting pictures taken by Investigator Alan  on his trip to Gettysburg in 2002.    The first picture shows a field hospital.  Note the cropped version showing an upstairs window.   A remaining patient, perhaps? 

The next picture was taken of a battlefield northwest of Gettysburg.   The close up reveals what looks like a Confederate solider in cape & hat walking along the edge of the woods.

UPDATE 1/2/04:   With our new Paint Shop Pro 8 we were able to get a clearer picture of the Confederate solider!    {The picture was not altered in any way other than adjusting the hues, brightness/contrast, & clarifying it.}  Check it out!

A CONVINCING CASE:  Investigator Lynette B.'s husband wasn't sure he believed in ghosts before he married her.    He didn't disbelieve entirely, but he wouldn't be convinced until he had experienced something himself.   It didn't take long for him to be convinced of their existence! 

His house had no previous history of hauntings, but shortly after their marriage odd things began to happen.  Investigator Lynette B. had a history of random hauntings in her family.   Apparently she seems to attract spirits, also!   

The first incident involved telephones.   Her husband was on the telephone - the only phone line - talking to a friend.   While he was in the middle of the conversation, a telephone in the basement began to ring.   This alone was a physical impossibility.   The thing that makes it even stranger is that it was an antique phone that was not  hooked up to anything.    The phone was one of several antique telephones that Investigator Lynette B. had purchased from a favorite Great Uncle before he passed away 2 years previously. 

Another time she was awaken in the middle of the night by the feeling of someone sitting on the edge of the bed.    Her husband was asleep -it wasn't him.  And then she felt someone take her arm & start pulling on it.  She tried hiding her arm under the blankets, but they were just pulled out of the way & her arm grabbed again.    She woke her husband when she demanded that who ever it was go away & let her go back to sleep!

But that was nothing compared to the wake up call she got another morning.    The alarm had gone off for her to get up for work.  Her husband had gotten up earlier.    She had just reached over & hit the snooze button & closed her eyes again when she felt a hand on her shoulder shaking her.    She opened her eyes again & saw what she thought was her husband kneeling down beside the bed, right in front of her face.   The room was just starting to lighten with the sunrise so she could definitely make out the shadowy shape of a man.     She grumbled that she was awake & wasn't over sleeping.   {her husband often checks to make sure she hasn't hit the snooze button too many times!}   The man then got up without a word & turned to walk away.    She thought it odd that her husband didn't say anything, then she noticed the bedroom door was still closed.   Quickly turning her attention back to man she saw that she could SEE THROUGH HIM!  He dissolved in to nothing when he reached the end of the bed.   By this time Investigator Lynette B. was most definitely awake! 

Other incidents have involved twice seeing a cat that had recently passed away -it was also transparent.    They've also felt 'phantom' cats jumping upon the bed & walking across it at night.    Some times objects will go flying from their resting places with no one near them.    Once Investigator Lynette B. had a stack of computer diskettes coming flying out at her like a pack of cards from a shelf on their computer stand.    Another night as she was going to reach for the doorknob on the bedroom door, an antique photo in a large oval frame did a strange thing.    It was at the opposite end of the hallway, propped up on a stand & leaning against the wall.    Suddenly a very loud "TWANG!"  sounded from it & it shot down the hallway -perfectly level the whole way & with it's back against the wall - & bounced off the door frame right by the door knob she was reaching for.   Her husband heard all the noise, but didn't see it.   Neither one could figure out a logical explanation for it, nor could they reproduce the sound they heard before it took flight.    The wire on the back of the picture frame had been broken for years & was unable to make much noise.    

These & various other things have happened over their nine years of marriage.   The house doesn't seem to be 'rationally haunted',  it's more like spirits just passing through!   And needless to say, her husband is now a firm believer in the world of spirits!

EMMETSBURG, IA  HALLOWEEN NIGHT 2003:  Melissa H. sent us this wonderful example of fast moving orbs with contrails.   This was taken during an over-nighter she was chaperoning at the community center.

 

HAUNTED AUSTRALIA  August 2003:  Here is a story & pictures from two of our C.I.G.H.T.  Investigators, Steve &  Alan,  who were in Australia recently.   Click on the pictures to enlarge them.  Story & pictures provided by Investigator Steve.

G'day mates!   Just back from our trip to Sofala, New South Wales in Australia.  Our host had told us a story concerning the two ghosts at his house and then told us about the small bridge down the road about a mile and a half.  He and other locals dismount their horses and walk them across the bridge as the horses balk when they near the bridge.  It seems there is much reluctance in the horses to go across.  We stopped at the bridge on Saturday night last after returning from supper in town about 9 PM.  I took two photos with my Sony digital.  Had to press the button about 30 times before the camera would function.  I then took a quick back up photo.  The entire time I was out of the van, I was very uncomfortable and felt much relieved when I headed back to my cohorts.  Temp was 64 degrees, very little wind, so my breath was not an issue.  I don't smoke, so......? Maybe an Aboriginal ghost or one of the old gold miners, perhaps??   Note the ecto in the 1st shot.  

Here's the story about the house they stayed at:

Mike's 150 year old farm house has two bedrooms that guests stay in.  One has two beds.  Two guests complained to Mike that they heard some one in the unoccupied bed moaning or groaning and tossing in the bed all night.  One guest even accused him of putting another guest into their room, which of course never occurred.  These complaints were about one year apart.  Mike knew that the old woman who had the farm before him, had lost a son some time back and approached her about it.  She asked "What bedroom?"  Mike told her and she nonchalantly replied "No, that'll be Les then".  Turns out her husband was named Les and had died in that room and in that bed after having a heart attack.  He suffered for a few hours before expiring as there were no doctors available.  So that explains the moaning and the tossing & turning.  I got an ecto shot in the rec room 3 years ago, so that must be the son.   

 HAUNTED CHURCH CAMP:  About 20 years ago Investigator Lynette B. worked at a very haunted camp & conference center.    The 2 places where most of the activity took place were the main building & a guest house.     One day her Mom & she were the only ones in the main building........or were they?   After cleaning a meeting room they had stopped to talk.   Her Mom was facing the doorway & she was facing her Mom.  Suddenly her mother stopped in the middle of a sentence with a stunned look on her face.    When asked what was wrong, she said "Oh, nothing".   They split up, her mother went to clean on the other side of the building, while she finished up the bathrooms on the current  side.    Our Investigator went to open the 1st bathroom door & was unable to.  Every time she pushed the door it would only open a little ways & would then push back shut.   It was as if some one was inside trying to keep the door shut by leaning on it.  After repeated tries with no success, Lynette went to find her mother & ask if there was some one else in the building.   Her mother  said no, but then explained that her 'nothing' earlier was actually 'something'.   She had glanced at the door way to the meeting room as they were talking & saw a man, dressed in the garb of a minister, staring in at them with a smile.   Not so unusual in a church camp, but this man was semi-transparent & was the color of smoke.    She could see him in good detail, but she could see through him!   Later on when she described this man to some one who was running the camp they recognized him immediately.   It was a minister who had died of a heart attack in the building a few years previously.   After finding out about the 'visitor' from her mother, our Investigator went back & tried the door to the bathroom again.   It opened with ease.....    

ARKANSAS SHADY GROVE CEMETERY  Nov. 2002:   C.I.G.H.T. Investigator  Signa  got a chance to explore this interesting cemetery & landed these great ecto shots!

    

 

 

 

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