Terrifying Séances

Paranormal Phenomena
LONG BEFORE ghost boxes, EVP, and the popularity of ghost hunting, the method of choice for communicating with the spirit world was the séance. In the traditional séance, a small group of people would sit around a table and join hands. They were usually led by a spirit medium, who would channel the spirits and relay their messages to the living. In the heyday of the Spiritualist movement at the end of the 19th century, séances were all the rage, complete with ectoplasm, floating trumpets, table tilting, and other special effects. Séances were even conducted in the White House by Mary Todd Lincoln, who longed to contact her dead son.

It’s questionable how many of these séances actually succeeded in contacting the spirit world. Many mediums were exposed as frauds. Séances are held rarely these days; the closest we get to them, perhaps, are sessions with the Ouija board (which also produce questionable results).

Occasionally, people still do conduct séances. Usually, the Halloween season gets them in the mood. And many have reported extraordinary, sometimes terrifying experiences. For example....

GROSS POINT SÉANCE

“It's hard to believe that it has been over 50 years since that night in Grosse Point, Michigan that so changed my life,” says Bradford A. At the time he was a young college student, just out of the army, and studying psychology under the G.I. Bill at a college in Detroit, Michigan.

“I had mastered the art of hypnotism and, in fact, was considered one of the leading men in the field,” Bradford says. “Working part-time in an Abbotts Magic store and putting on magic shows was a form of income that was not only fun, but allowed me to meet a wide range of personalities. One person, who at his request will remain nameless, was a magician of note and a close personal friend. We had fun trying out new magic tricks and routines on each other. Because of our knowledge of the so called ‘black arts,’ we were aware of all the tricks used by magicians and mediums to ply their art on the unknowing: two-way transmitters to feed information, pat routines such as ‘The Devil’s Own Method’ of mind reading, astral projection units, and, of course, the table raising gimmicks.

“The two of us, noticing the rise of fake mediums in the area, decided that it would be fun if we did ‘spook debunking’ – that is to say, we would attend a séance or medium's performance and expose their fakery to the members present. It was a riot. We slipped into homes at the request of a person's mate that felt their partner was being taken for a ride. For this we had the satisfaction of setting things right, but no money.

“Then one day, after a magic show at the old Schubert Theatre in downtown Detroit, I was approached by a very nice elderly lady who asked if we would put on a show for a few of her friends at her home in swank Grosse Point Farms, a wealthy suburb of Detroit. She said that we could use any gimmicks or tricks we wanted and she would pay us $100. (That was a lot of money to a college student in the 1940s.) I asked my partner and he said sure, let's go for it. We rounded up as much paraphernalia as we could from the magic store and planned a really scary show for them. Our plan included getting as much information as the host lady could gather about the persons who would be in attendance. (No self-respecting medium would go in without it.)

“Finally, the night arrived. We had agreed that my partner would handle the mechanical and voice parts and I would take the part of the medium at the table with the guests. My partner planned to wait in his car down the block until all of the guests were in the house and ready for the séance. He would then enter the kitchen by the back door and connect his microphone and recorders into the speaker system I had installed and concealed in the room and set up a projector. I was introduced as ‘Sregna, The Gifted’ (my last name spelled backward), and we all took our places at the table. The table had been previously rigged to emit a hanging cloud of "magic" smoke that would hover over the table for several minutes. This cloud was used as a sort of projection screen to receive images of light from a projector controlled by my partner – in short, a sort of astral vision effect.

“We all joined hands and I began my mumbo jumbo. I could feel a slight tremble in the hand I was holding. This was just what I needed. I became quite confident. I called upon the spirits to come forth and make themselves known. A few eerie sounds preceded a voice saying that he was the departed husband of one of the guests. A mist formed, as planned, over the table and a likeness of the person was seen. There were a few shudders and oohs and ahhs. She asked her husband questions and he answered. (Very well, I thought, considering the information we were given.) This scene was repeated for several of the ladies. It was an eerie success.

“When the séance came to a close, the ladies left, each with their memories. They had been treated to quite a show. The lady who hired us wrote me a check and thanked me for a wonderful evening. I then went into the kitchen to help my partner disconnect his equipment and pack up.

“When I reached the kitchen, I was unable to locate my partner or his equipment. Then I heard a pounding on the kitchen door. It was my partner. He said when he tried to get in, someone had apparently locked the door. He said he was sorry and asked if he missed anything. I may never know what really happened that night, but I can assure you, I have not played with the supernatural since!”

QUESTION!!!! Don't laugh at me

This is to those in this forum that have a firm grip on how space and time work.
Ok,supposely tomorrow the 14th ,we are suppose to see et's . My question is this. I am in Alabama where they are suppose to land or what ever they are suppose to do. Let's say they come in the from the north of me in Alabama and I am in South East Alabama, would I be able to see there ships from this distance in the sky?


Don't laug at me, I was just wondering if it were possible,not that I believe it will happen.

Humans scoffed by mutant fish

A FEARSOME mutant fish has started killing people after feeding on human corpses, scientists fear.
They reckon that a huge type of catfish, called a goonch, may have developed a taste for flesh in an Indian river where bodies are dumped after funerals.

Locals have believed for years that a mysterious monster lurks in the water. But they think it has moved on from scavenging to snatching unwary bathers who venture into the Great Kali, which flows along the India-Nepal border.

The extraordinary creature has been investigated by biologist Jeremy Wade for a TV documentary to be shown on Five.

He said: “The locals have told me of a theory that this monster has grown extra large on a diet of partially burnt corpses. It has perhaps got this taste for flesh by feasting on remains of funeral pyres. There will be a few freak individuals that grow bigger than the other ones and if you throw in extra food, they will grow even bigger.”

Jeremy discounted theories that crocodiles could be responsible for the carnage before turning his attention to goonches – among the world’s biggest freshwater fish.


He caught one which tipped the scales at 161lb and was nearly 6ft long – a world record weight and far bigger than any landed before.

He said: “If that got hold of you, there’d be no getting away.



An 18-year-old Nepali disappeared in the river last year, dragged down by something described as like an “elongated pig”.

But the first victim of a goonch attack was thought to have been a 17-year-old Nepalese boy.

He was killed in April 1988 as he cooled himself in the river.

Witnesses said he was suddenly pulled below the surface.

Three months later a young boy was dragged underwater as his father watched helplessly.

Five’s Nature Shock series starts on October 14 and Flesh Eating River Monster is on October 21 at 8pm.



Wonder if fishing hooks will be made for humans to be used by fish now? lol

Martial law

a Washington based investigative journalist, author, columnist and former U.S. Naval Officer is reporting a document called the “C & R” document is being passed around among senior members of Congress and their staff.

Bush planning martial law


FEMA sources have told Madsen that the Bush administration is putting final touches on a plan that would initiate martial law in the event of continuing economic collapse causing massive social unrest, bank closures resulting in violence against financial institutions and another fraudulent presidential election that would result in rioting in major cities and campuses around the country.

Troops on American streets

In addition to FEMA sources, Army Corps of Engineer sources report that the assignment of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade to NorthCom to augment FEMA and federal law enforcement for the purpose of traffic control, crowd control, curfews, enhanced border and port security, and neighborhood patrols in the event a national emergency being declared.

America may default on it’s loans

The “C & R” document reportedly states that if the United States defaults on loans and debt underwritten from China, Japan and Russia and America unilaterally cancels the debts, America can expect a war that will have disastrous results for the United States and the world.

“Conflict” is the “C word” in the document.

Washington fears a popular Revolution

The other possibility discussed in the document is that the federal government will be forced to drastically raise taxes in order to pay off debts to foreign countries to the point that the American people will react with a popular revolution against the government.

“Revolution” is the document’s “R” word.

Ten guilty of subliminal advertising

Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print October 08, 2008
NETWORK Ten used subliminal advertising during the 2007 Aria Awards, but the media authority will not penalise the broadcaster.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) today found Network Ten guilty of breaching the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice during the broadcast of the 2007 ARIA Music Awards on October 28.

During the introduction of nominated artists for the October 2007 telecast, Network Ten broadcasted quick one-frame bursts of sponsor logos, which included Chupa Chups, Big W, Olay, Telstra Bigpond, KFC and Toyota.

The ABC's Media Watch program revealed the breach and ACMA received several complaints shortly after.

ACMA reviewed the material and found the "rapid-cut graphics used in the program was a technique that attempted to convey information to viewers below or near the threshold of normal awareness".

ACMA said Network Ten argued the rapid-cut graphics were intended to be creatively consistent with the fast-paced look and feel of the music presentations.

However, the authority today ruled against Network Ten and demanded it distribute the investigation report to production staff, not use the rapid cut technique again and highlight the code clause in their external production agreements.

ACMA also warned Network Ten not to use the technique for the upcoming 2008 ARIA Music Awards, scheduled for October 19.

"ACMA considers this action as proportionate given that this is the first breach of this kind by the licensee," the authority said in a release today.

"ACMA forewarns the industry that a future breach will result in significantly heightened compliance measures."