- Electronic Smog 'Is Disrupting Nature On A Massive Scale'-
- Fight Over UFO Photos Pits Family Versus Newspaper -
- In the Wilds of New Jersey, a Legend Inspires a Hunt -
- On the Trail of American Werewolves -
AND: Ghost Whisperer in Our Midst

MYSTERIES MAGAZINE  #21 www.mysteriesmagazine.com

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COSMIC HORIZONS RADIO NOW ON SUNDAY NIGHTS
BEGINNING SEPT. 14

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Emergency officials said residents in Johnston and surrounding counties in North Carolina reported hearing loud booms that shook their houses Sunday evening.

Most of the reports came in from Clayton and Wendell, starting around 5:45 p.m. WRAL viewers in Selma and Middlesex also reported similar experiences.

"I was inside on the computer, and all of a sudden, I just heard this big, old boom," Clint Banks, of Clayton, said. "This one lady said that her house shook when it happened. But I heard a lot of it, and it lasted, I'd say, about 15 seconds."

"My mom thought something to us happened, because she was downstairs, but it was just a loud boom," Zulit Callejas, of Clayton, said.

Emergency crews searched the area for the source of the noise but could not identify what the noise was, said Capt. Buck Pipkin, with the Johnston County Sheriff's Office.

Some residents have speculated that the noise might have been the result of a sonic boom, a term that is commonly used to refer to the shocks caused by the supersonic flight of a military aircraft.

Pipkin said the sheriff's office has called surrounding air bases and airports, and none reported a missing plane.

Officials at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Wayne County said planes are not allowed to produce a sonic boom. All of the base's F-15s completed landing at 4:15 p.m., officials said.

The National Weather Service officials said they did not know of any events – including an earthquake – that would have caused the noise.

WRAL viewers reported hearing multiple loud booms or explosions in Johnston, northwestern Wake, southern Nash and northwestern Wilson counties around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008.

    * "As was previously reported, there is currently no answer. I would like to suggest an alternative. It's quite possible that it was a meteor that burned up, or blew up, in the skies above NC. I have heard a similar noise during a meteor shower. One in particular made a sizzling or hissing noise. Several people that heard it also mentioned hearing something like this. Not sure if there is anyway to check o this, but it may be something to look into, as they will produce a sonic boom if big/low enough, and if exploded in the air, then it could have had many of the same effects as a bomb going off without making a crater or any other signs on the ground. Just a suggestion." - Chris

    * "Our neighbor actually saw jets right before the boom so we also thought that it was a sonic boom. It shook everything in the house" - Dana

    * "There was a major boom here at approximately 5:45 p.m. in Wendell. The entire house shook. (I) talked with my parents in Clayton approximately 15 minutes later who are at least 20 miles from here, and they heard it also and their house also shook." - Gary Stevens

    * "We live in the Powhatan area of Clayton just off Highway 70 and a loud boom noise shook our house. We checked and couldn't find any reason for the noise." - Teresa and Jesse Scott

    * "We have a decent size house (3500 square feet) and the boom shook the house on it's foundation. I went outside and dogs were barking all around us. I saw nothing that could cause it." - Rodney Radford

    * "Dust fell from celling, sounded like a crash. Our house shook." - Joey

    * "It shook our entire house! We thought someone had crashed into our home!" - Amy

    * "Boom, boom, boom. It shook the house like a car had hit the house. All the neighbors came running out. We don’t see any smoke. My son lives six miles away and he heard it as well." - Carol Gibbs

    * "It was pretty sizable. It was clearly an explosion. The house shook alright - from behind us." - Bob Greene

    * "Huge explosion heard. Shook entire neighborhood. No smoke seen. Seemed very close. Sounded like a bomb exploding!" - Scott Murphy

    * "There was just a noise in Clayton that sounded like a huge explosion that shook the houses of our neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods." - Carla Cawthorn

    * "Heard two extremely loud booms a split second apart. Everyone in the subdivision came out of their homes to investigate but unsure of the cause." - Scott Hall

    * "My family and I were all eating dinner and hear a very loud boom and our house jolted. Felt as (though) a tree (had) crashed into our house. We went outside but didn't see a thing. No smoke, no fallen trees, no car accidents." - Brandon Beasley

    * "We heard a very loud boom that shook the whole house. It sounded like an explosion or crash. Our dogs went crazy. We ran outside only to find nothing but, heard a jet in the distance. We think it was a sonic boom!" - Elliott & Lisa Parrish

    * "We were on the back deck at approximately 5:45 p.m. when we heard the explosion and felt the vibrations being reported in Clayton and Wendell." - Felicia Britt

    * "My husband and I thought for a moment we were back in California, there was a low boom and the house shook, as if there had been a sharp (our terms) earthquake. Not one of the long rolling earthquakes, but a shorter one. A car's alarm was set off nearby and kept going for bit, similar to what happens in CA when earthquakes happen, or sonic booms. Or an explosion!" - Laurel W.

    * "The boom wasn't heard just in Clayton. I live (in) Selma, and we heard the same booms. It emptied every house on our street." - Chris Stafford

    * "Two rapid explosions shook entire neighborhood. Many people came outside to see what was going on. Local volunteer firemen were apparently called to duty, as we saw several of them quickly left the subdivision. We felt the shock while swimming in the neighborhood pool. We saw no smoke or other evidence of fire." - Tim Pursell

    * "I was sitting in front of the computer and suddenly a loud explosion shook the desk. It seemed so close that I thought something had fallen onto the roof. I went outside, but couldn't see anything. It was heard as far as JDs Country Store in Wilson's Mills." - Sheila Taylor

    * "I was in my apartment in the Cobblestone Village complex and it sounded as though a car had exploded in our parking lot. Scared me so bad. Was looking for smoke but saw none. What is going on?!?!?! I know others are aware which makes me glad; I didn't just imagine it!" - Rebecca

    * "My 7-year-old daughter heard a loud explosion when she was outside playing. She ran in talking about it." - Mark Brooks

    * "At about 5:45pm, I heard a loud boom, and also felt the walls of my house shake. The sound sound was reminiscent of the sonic boom that occurred when the space shuttle was landing at Edwards Air Force Base a few years ago. Very similar ..." - Gina Cross

    * "The ground shook and windows rattled. We only heard one boom." - Michelle Johnson

    * "An explosion occurred shaking the houses of everyone in the area. I walked outside but didn't see anything unusual. I know military aircraft fly above frequently and from my military experience it sounded like a sonic boom." - James

    * "We have no idea what the BOOM was, but it sounded like the shelving in my garage falling on the car, or a plane crash, or a huge THUD! It shook the entire house and neighborhood! Neighbors came outside to ask each other if they felt it and what it was? I've checked seismic web sites and do not see any activity... It was weird... We have 3 small kids... I thought one of them had fallen through the ceiling. My son thought the DISH had fallen off the side of the house or something... Can't wait to hear what it was and hopefully no one was hurt!" - Wayne Smoak

    * "My family and I were eating inside Los Ranchos in Clayton. We heard four loud booms. We did not feel any shaking." - Lowry

    * "I live about six to seven miles outside of Kenly off of Highway 42 and I heard the same loud boom at my house that shook my home." - Kathy Davis

    * "This did not sound like a jet sonic boom. Plus the brick house shook. Sounded more like (an) explosion and felt like (an) explosion." - George

    * "My neighbor and I were standing in the back yard and heard what sounded like a sizzle, then a loud pop and then a boom." - Tracy

    * "Around 5:47 p.m., I was inside the house, kids were playing with my wife outside. We heard 1 loud initial boom, followed by another short sharp, louder boom, followed by another longer boom. I ran outside, as did everyone in the neighborhood we could see, thinking a tree had fallen or something had detonated. We're near the new 70 Bypass and 42 intersection, and it literally shook the house for a few seconds. Our first thought was that they were blasting rock at the new Wal-Mart site, but the explosion was far stronger then anything you'd get at a construction site." - T.G.

Source: WRAL
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3500792/

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As any and every fan of horror movies will be acutely aware, Hollywood has had a long-standing fascination with those shape-shifting creatures of the night known as werewolves. In 1941, Universal Pictures released its classic movie The Wolf Man starring Lon Cheney, Jr. Two decades later, Hammer Films made their own version of the lycanthropic legend: Curse of the Werewolf.
 
And, of course, who can forget the early-1980’s productions An American Werewolf in London, Wolfen and The Howling; and latter-day movies such as Dog-Soldiers, Underworld and Van Helsing?
 
Of course, there was the 1985 production, Howling 2, which, as a result of its less-than-impressive special-effects and its wooden acting, was instantly forgettable; aside, that is, from Sybil Danning’s startling assets.
 
But, like most people, you probably think that the werewolf is just a creature of fiction, fantasy and late-night campfire-tales, right? How very wrong you are, my friends!
 
As someone who, with flashlight and camera in hand, has trekked through the spooky woods of Washington State, taken on the harsh rain-forests of Puerto Rico, and scoured the windswept wilds of Scotland in search of such beasts, I can tell you that Man-Wolf is no joke.
 
Indeed, it might just be your worst nightmare.
 
Yep: as startling and as gonzo as it may sound, there exists a large and varied body of witness testimony, legends, tales and folklore suggesting that those hairy, snarling beasts borne of a full-moon just might be all too horrifically real.
 
That’s right; you’ve got it: it’s time to order a plentiful supply of silver bullets.
 
Perhaps no-one knows this better than Wisconsin-based author Linda Godfrey, who has written two non-fiction books on werewolf encounters in the United States: The Beast of Bray Road and Hunting the American Werewolf.
 
And Godfrey is no wide-eyed, gullible fool. An award-winning journalist, she has put her life on the line time and again, and, by the light of a full moon, headed off into darkened forests in hot pursuit of these glowing-eyed man-wolves. And what could be cooler than that? Hell, not much, methinks!
 
Similarly, Timothy Green Beckley’s new book, The Big Book of Werewolves in Reality, in Folklore, in Cinema and in Lust is packed with witness testimony relating to encounters with real-life wolf-men whose mere appearance will freeze the blood in your bones.
 
Are these creatures really genuine werewolves that are likely to tear your head off as easily as look at you? Are they paranormal entities? Or could they be examples of a flesh-and-blood animal that, like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, science has yet to firmly identify?
 
The jury, unsurprisingly, is still debating these hair-raising questions and more; however, that hasn’t stopped people such as Linda Godfrey from devoting years of their lives to tracking down their infernal quarry. And it hasn’t stopped the beasts of the moon from surfacing from their darkened lairs and scaring the proverbial you-know-what out of god-fearing citizens of this fine land, either.
 
Consider, for example, the following.
 
Just recently, a report surfaced from an employee of one of the biggest satellite-TV providers in the United States, who had a truly startling late-night close encounter with a werewolf-type creature while driving through the dark and atmospheric woods near the equally dark and atmospheric Caddo Lake, Texas.
 
According to Kenneth, it was around 10.20 p.m. on the night of July 28 that as he rounded a bend in the road in question, his headlights illuminated a strange creature sitting in the middle of the road.
 
At first glance, Kenneth thought that it was simply a big bear: large and hunched over, it appeared to be looking at something in the thick trees to the right. Kenneth’s amazement at seeing a bear in the road was quickly replaced by overwhelming, spine-tingling fear, however, when the creature reared up onto its muscular hind legs, and he was able to see that it was most definitely no bear.
 
Rather, a shaken Kenneth said, it appeared to be “a large black wolf, but upright, and just like in one of the movies.” He added that the creature had a “very long” dog-like snout, large, pointed ears, and a menacing look on its leathery, shiny face.
 
It wasn’t exactly a local, in other words.
 
As he slowed down his vehicle, Kenneth added, the creature vanished into the woods in a series of strange, leap-like movements.
 
Well, what do you do when confronted with a story like that? If, like me, you’re a full-time author of books on monstrous critters, you jump in the car, floor the accelerator, head out to the scene of all the action, and check out the evidence for yourself. And, if you’re really lucky, bag yourself a werewolf in the process.
 
Indeed, a concerted effort is now underway to try and learn more about Kenneth’s encounter with the unknown and determine if indeed predatory werewolves really do prowl the darker corners of the Lone Star State and elsewhere.
 
Take heed next time there is a full moon. The old, diabolical legends may be much more than that. And, if so, let’s hope they all look like Sybil Danning.
 
Nick Redfern is a full-time monster-hunter and the author of four books on the subject: Three Men Seeking Monsters; Memoirs of a Monster Hunter; Man-Monkey; and his new book: There’s something in the Woods.


Source: Mania
http://www.mania.com/lair-beasts-trail-american-werewolves_article_87158.html

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Shhh! Most g-g-ghosts aren’t really sc-c-c-ary, spectre specialist Cameron Bragg says.

Everyone knows the annoyance caused by an unwanted guest in the house, but what do you do if that nuisance guest is a nuisance ghost?

One possible solution to that conundrum is amateur ghost researcher Cameron Bragg.

Mr. Bragg has been involved in ghost research for more than two decades and often refers to his forays into the paranormal as haunt scene investigations, because he tries to focus on the spirit’s attitude in hopes he can help the situation.

“I try to be a calming influence and look at the ghost’s behaviour,” Mr. Bragg said.

“Some of them just want to be left alone and think of you as being in their space and are trying to fight back with you. For the most part, though, most ghosts are confused, sad or depressed.”

In some cases, an active or agitated ghost can be calmed by simply sealing off a room or attic and giving them their own space, Mr. Bragg said.

To get a better idea of what a ghost is feeling, Mr. Bragg sometimes works with a psychic.

Still, it’s not always necessary to have a medium around to determine a ghost’s feelings.

Banging, rattling, stomping, yelling and other disruptive activities can be just as telling.

Mr. Bragg stresses it’s important those who feel they have a haunting on their hands keep a running tally of the ghost’s actions so he can better gauge its behaviour. It gives him an insight into the ghost’s motivations.

Now many might be skeptical of Mr. Bragg’s work and that’s fine, he said, because he was once a skeptic, too.

All of that changed, however, in 1988 when he moved into an apartment in Thornhill that just so happened to have an unexpected houseghost.

“I didn’t care about ghosts back then, because I was busy with work and family,” Mr. Bragg said.

“When the ghostly happenings first started, I just put it down to a busy schedule and I thought it was just the strangeness of living in a new place.”

Yet, even when the novelty of the new apartment wore off, the ghostly goings-on continued, Mr. Bragg said. They became much harder to write off as imagination.

“I was starting to think I was paranoid or having hallucinations,”  Mr. Bragg said. “I’d hear noises down in the living room at night and I’d go downstairs expecting someone to be there and yet there was nobody there.”

While living in the apartment, Mr. Bragg and his first wife welcomed their first child.

His wife occasionally felt the ghost’s presence or noticed its handiwork, too. Sometimes, the ghost would even move their infant daughter’s bottle up onto a table when it had fallen to the floor. It seemed almost pleasant sometimes.

“It was sort of a helpful ghost,” Mr. Bragg said.

“Still, you wouldn’t want to get water in your eyes in the shower, because when you closed your eyes you always felt like you were being watched.”

Still, while most of the strange occurrences at the home were generally pretty benevolent, some of the haunted happenings could be much more frightening.

Mr. Bragg said his sister later confessed she wouldn’t visit the home anymore, because the telephone there began ringing wildly at one point and whenever she answered there was only strange garbled noises on the other end, accompanied by yelling.

Every time she hung up, the phone merely started ringing again.

Eventually, Mr. Bragg and his wife moved, but they were later informed by the superintendent the home was once occupied by an elderly couple.

The husband got sick at one point and died in hospital and the widow lived alone for a time afterward before dying suddenly in the home’s kitchen. Mr. Bragg has since attempted to contact the tenants who live there now and the new superintendent, but neither seems particularly interested in permitting a ghost investigation.

Mr. Bragg’s interest in ghosts only grew following that first experience. He visited various second-hand book stores, read up on the subject and accumulated the tools required to investigate spirits and spectres.

Today, those tools are comprised of an electro-magnetic field detector, compass, voice recorder, digital camera, video camera and other equipment. A big part of the investigation is first eliminating other possible causes for a haunting.

“We do an environmental assessment of the home first and make sure any electro-magnetic fields aren’t the wiring or something like that, but if we find a field somewhere there shouldn’t be one, like in a rocking chair, that could be something,” Mr. Bragg said.

“You find the rational before looking for the irrational.”

For those who doubt Mr. Bragg’s investigations are legit, he points out the fact he doesn’t charge for them and views them as a public service. Any money he does make from ghosts, comes from lectures and workshops he conducts.

“I can’t guarantee a ghost is going to leave  because of what I do, so I don’t think it’s ethical to charge,” Mr. Bragg said. “I do charge for my lectures.”

One such lecture, entitled An Inconvenient Ghost, will be at the Newmarket Public Library Sept. 16.

The cost of the lecture is $20 and will be one of four held across the region.

A Newmarket haunt

Mr. Bragg said Newmarket’s historic Pickering College is refuted to be the home of one restless spirit, dubbed the Grey Lady.

Rumoured to be the ghost of a nurse who worked in the school many years ago, the legend has been perpetuated by the occasional sighting and even the odd photograph of the spirit. 

Got ghost?

Here are some possible signs:

    * Catching movement out of the corner of your eye, turning your head and seeing no one.
    * Hearing voices or noises that can’t be readily explained by schizophrenia or the obvious.
    * Rappings and knockings.
    * Orb’s showing up in family photographs.
    * Seeing smoky apparitions or shadow people.
    * Difficulty sleeping, feeling pinned to the bed.
    * Moving/disappearing objects.
    * Cold or hot spots without the obvious reasons for them.
    * Smells or odours and not the obvious ones.
    * Electrical disturbances and problems with appliances, lightbulbs, etc.

Spirit statistics

An Ipsos-Reid Poll in October 2006 states 47 per cent of Canadians believe in ghosts.

Eighteen per cent believe they have been in the presence of a ghost.

Nine per cent believe they have lived in a haunted house.

“Newmarket has a population of about 71,000 people, so there is the potential of 6,400 haunted homes out there,” Mr. Bragg said.

“I welcome Newmarket to share their haunted experiences with me via my e-mail if they like.”

Mr. Bragg can be reached at thehauntclub@cogeco.ca

Source: The Liberal
http://www.theliberal.com/News/Regional%20News/article/81078