SPIRITS on the GO!
Statewide
Spring Hill Cemetery
by: Mary N.
10/28/06
Here is the story of the first trip:
Evie, Julie and I arrived at Spring Hill Cemetery approximately 3:00-3:30 pm on October 28, 2006. There was an eerieness to the cemetery from the moment we pulled in. It is situated off a dirt road and is not visible from the road. We had not been there long when a man pulled up in a car and pretended to check his oil (why do that in a cemetery?) and stayed awhile as we looked at the stones. The cemetery has a number of home-made markers and in some places is well-kept while untended in others.
As a sensitive it was apparent that there was a lot of paranormal activity that took place there on a regular basis, particularly in the back left quadrant of the cemetery. I believe that there are many unmarked graves there so that the number of those buried is unknown.
As a researcher I knew the basics about the cemetery. It is an African-American cemetery that has been in existence for over 100 years. There have been sightings of a man hanging from a huge oak tree and also ghostly mourners gathered around graves. The area is reputed to have had a slaughter house behind the cemetery and also to have been a place used by the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize the black community. Indeed there are many grisly stories told about this.
The cemetery now often used for other nearious purposes from drug dealing to prostitution because of its secluded location. Due to this activity, we would not recommend a night investigation without prior approval of law enforcement as well as a security arrangement.
October 16, 2008
Gainesville, Florida
By: Brandy Stark
Pre-note: I was attending a conference at which one of my research papers had been accepted for presentation. I had not been to Gainesville, the conference location, for a number of years. I did some research on “Gainesville” and “ghosts” and came up with the following websites:
Of these locations, I was able to attend three. The first was the haunted Crispers, as listed on “Haunted Florida.com”:
The current building was a former record studio and before that housed Goodwill. Rumor has it that someone died in the building when it was Goodwill. Employees have reported hearing a female calling out to them after closing and all doors are locked. Shadows have been seen on the walls. Knocking has been heard at the rear loading dock doorway early in the morning only to have no one at the door.
I opted to have dinner at the restaurant. I arrived around 8 p.m. and left at 9: 15. Here is the real-time report of my experience there (I had my laptop and sent an email over dinner):
Here I am in one of the haunted locations in Gainesville. I came in and two of the employees, college students, didn't know that it was haunted. So, I showed them the page that I printed up from the Internet with the Crispers story. The story, in summary, is that this building used to house a record studio, and before that a Goodwill. Rumor has it that someone died in the building when it was a Goodwill. Some employees have reported hearing a female voice call to them and some have seen a shadow figure on the walls. Some knocking has been heard at the rear loading dock doorway early in the morning and when employees check the area, they find no one at the door.
They young men got their manager and we talked for about 15 minutes. I, again, presented the story – which she found a bit unsettling because just prior to my arrival she had just finished telling another employee about an experience that she had here a week or two ago. She said that she was locking up to leave when she could have sworn that she passed someone (a shadowy figure, from what I gathered). She came back in and checked again and there was no one here.
The EMF meter (Trifield) that I placed on the table has been bouncing some but it's hard to say that there isn't a natural cause. I hear microwaves going off, my computer is here, but much of the time the meter is pretty stead. I have tried to ask the entity – physically, mentally, and via typed question with the Puck -- to move the needle. Response is sporadic.
I did a quiet (non-vocal) Paranormal Puck session. Using Jeanne’s earphones, I would ask questions, this time NOT repeating them aloud as I typed them, and the response was not filtered through external speakers but into the headphones. Here it the actual session. I find it interesting that there SEEMS to be a love story here. I also loved that the first time I was getting ready to go I got the response "jerk" -- but then that showed up 4 other times tonight. Still, the timing was quite funny. See what you think of this. I am “User” and the entity is the line after me (no title). Any time “User” appears with no words in between means that there was no response. EMF on the Puck did fluctuation slightly from .8 mG to 1.2 mG.
User: Is there anyone there?
else alter
User: are you the woman that they say haunts this building?
test
User: Are you testing my equipment?
User: Do you understand how this works?
wrote
User: Yes, I will write questions here and you can manipulate the EMF to select words to answer me.
bird
User: Do you understand?
seek happy
User: Do you seek to be happy?
anything ass yours
User: Really? I have to say that this is the first time that I have been so addressed.
blow
User: Were you here as a singer?
User: Did you associate with this when it was a Goodwill?
position Robert else
User: You were here when it was a Goodwill?
fade
User: Did you die in this building when it was still a Goodwill?
movement
User: Were you murdered here?
User: Did you die of natural causes?
User: How did you die?
cents dr.
User: I don't understand the answer.
among
User: Do you still manifest here?
seat
User: Did the manager see you?
bird
User: She thought that you were a bird?
sand world
User: Did you show up as a shadow figure for her?
express
User: Did you try to scare her?
User: Did she scare you>
repeated
User: Is there a message that you want to pass on to the living?
User: Are you happy?
User: Are you sad?
behind
User: Why do you stay here?
built week
User: Are you too weak to leave?
Larry else
User: OK. So, are you trapped here?
kansas
User: Where are you from?
hurt drift
User: Were you a drifter?
among
User: were you homeless?
decided hidden
User: Did you work here?
along sound
User: The waitress is banging bowls. Do you not like the sound?
User: Were you attracted here by the sound?
User: Were you here when this was a sound studio?
sand video
User: Did you try to create a video here?
repeated
User: Did you have a musical career?
mine
User: Is that why you are still here? Is it because you never got that career?
fall
User: Is that how you died? Did you die in a fall in the building?
coast jerk east
User: Is that a "yes"?
User: Can you make the EMF needle spike on the trifield meter next to my computer?
.
User: No response?
pounds zero
User: Well, yeah, no response (zero response).
Sandra relax built
User: Who is Sandra?
erase Robert
User: who is Robert?
problem
User: Did he push you?
decided jerk
User: Did you decide to break up with him?
User: Did he decide to break up with you?
faith along
User: So, did he upset you?
User: Did he distract you?
kansas east
User: Did he push you?
.
User: Did you commit suicide?
sound
User: Did you go to investigate a sound when you fell?
User: So, you wanted to break up with the boyfriend.
hurt
User: OK. I understand. Breaking up is never easy.
repeated would toward
User: Did you keep getting back together with him?
User: Is there anything else that you want to add to this conversation? I have to leave shortly.
User: I hope that you feel better. I hope that you find the happiness that you seek.
face Sandra
User: Who is Sandra?
Larry
User: Are you Sandra?
User: Am I Sandra?
User: Who is Sandra
drift jerk
User: Did your boyfriend cheat with Sandra?
behind
User: Behind the building?
comfort express
User: Did you find them here?
kansas zero
User: Did you hear them and go out to find them here?
opening
User: Did they distract you, and that is why you fell and died?
User: Am I wrong on this?
months
User: Their affair went on for months?
erase
User: erase what?
empath built
User: I don't understand.
Larry jerk
User: You know a lot of jerks!
.
User: Wow, I'm starting to feel very tired. Is that you doing this?
behind Sandra
User: OK. I need to wrap it up and get going.
represent
User: Represent who?
fall faith
User: Your faith has fallen/
cents zero
User: It makes no sense?
lord
User: Are you frustrated?
User: I wanted to thank you for talking to me. I'm feeling a bit dizzy. I see that the needle is spiking on my meter, but I'm not sure if you are doing that.
kansas hidden
User: OK.
problem soak
User: Well, I am going to go ahead and wrap this up.
jerk
User: Oh, so now I am a jerk?
hurt east
User: I'm sorry that you feel that way.
User: No one here knows about you, do they?
built .
User: This was built later. College students come and gol
.
User: Yeah, I understand.
comfort relax
User: I wish that I could. I have a lot to do.
User: But, please, I hope that you find your rest.
User: Be well.
decided
User: Goodnight.
Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Gainesville
Oct. 17, 2008
Again, I took this entry from the Haunted Florida site:
This cemetery is really odd. Much of the grounds are kept up very well, while the very back of the cemetery looks like a Vietnamese jungle. There are some graves in the very back that are so overgrown it is really a shame. If you visit this place, you will actually feel as if you are in 2 different cemeteries. However, you can usually have some luck getting orbs here, especially around those back graves that I mentioned.
So, I went in with my computer, Paranormal Puck, Trifield EMF meter, EVP equipment and digital camera. I did get some response at first when I walked in to "Is anyone with me? Does anyone want to communicate with me" via the EMF meter. It did spike on those questions. I would turn a direction and ask if I could find them by "moving this way" and the meter spiked when I turned to my left. There were some above ground tombs which I went to. I asked "Are you here?" and the needle spiked. "Do you want to communicate with me?" Spike. I got my digital camera out and set it to video mode. I recorded a small segment of time with a Q&A with the meter. With the camera on the meter flat lined at first. Then I did start to get some response to some questions (see video). Finally, I attempted a Paranormal Puck session. The entity was totally unresponsive. The only typing entered (above -- since I had no Internet and my word programs didn't take when I initially entered them, I opted to photograph the screen) was mine -- and it answered none of my questions.
The remainder of the walk through I had NO activity AT ALL on the meter. I had no response what so ever. It was flatlined the entire time. I did see one interesting tomb in which the entire thing was painted pink and covered with silver glitter. (I wanted to break out into song -- "I gotta be me! I just gotta be me!") but I did refrain from doing so). The cemetery was, indeed, very dualistic. I found the overgrown graves and they were not old, as I had thought that they would be. Many in that section were from the 2000 time period. I am not sure why they are over grown as they are. Most interesting.
Haunted Walmart, Gainesville
Again, I took this entry from the Haunted Florida site:
A woman has been seen and felt by those of developed psychic sense. She is harmless and from observations made she was employed here up until three days before her passing. Roughly a month after, employees have seen and felt her presence, in particular, Infants and Girls wear. In other parts of the store, Jewelry, Crafts and Domestics, conversations and cold spots have been experienced when no one is around. Best times have been between the hours of 3:00 AM - 7:00 AM.
Well, this time I had to check my equipment at the customer service desk. So, I walked through using myself as an instrument and carrying the story with me. I found no cold spots, heard no voices. Only one thing rang true on an experiential level: as I entered the crafts section I felt incredibly dizzy in one spot (which I do sometimes get when I am in a haunted area).
As I prepared to leave, I found a stash of Hallowe'en items. I bought a small Hallowe'en throw for the SPIRITS party as a door prize (a ghost throw from a haunted Walmart) and a cute tshirt with ghosts that light up when I move. I went to customer service to check out and to get my bag. In order to see if I could learn more I attempted to engage the cashier in conversation. It went EXACTLY like this:
Me: Did you know that this store is supposed to be haunted?
Her: [Uninterested] Really?
Me: Yes, really.
That was it. So, other than the fact that this store shows up on a couple of sites, and I had the one dizzy spot, I have nothing else to go on for this one.
St Augustine
By: Sarah
Submitted: 3/2/09
In an attempt to give my family a breath of fresh air from the daily grind, I called my husband from working at the hospital Sunday night after working my usual doubles on the weekend and said “It’s been a while since we’ve been to St. Augustine, do you want to go?”. He replied “Yes.”. To which I replied “I mean let’s go tomorrow, let’s pack up all the kids and go!”. He chuckled for a second and said without hesitation “Yea let’s go!” Monday we packed our three children ages 4, 2, and 9 months. All set with their Spider man and Dora blankets and pillows they watched Wall-E on my laptop in the back of our rented Toyota Sienna as we pulled out of our complex and got on the road. It was a wonderful feeling to be on the interstate on our way to our ‘escape’ that we often visit when we feel drained and stressed. Our relationship had been feeling the stress of everyday life, and yet began to lighten as my husband and I were actually laughing at each other instead of arguing. Watching the city lights gradually disappear was a huge relief to us both.
We got in at about 3:30am to the hotel and being that I’m sensitive I immediately sensed something but was busy trying to get the children settled in bed and unpack a few things. After everyone (including my husband was asleep) I decided to try and get the laptop hooked up to the internet. I sat there trying to find some new places to check out the next day that weren’t so cliché. I had wanted to check out one of the haunted Inns. As I sat there I couldn’t help but feel as if something was behind me. Thinking it was my husband I turned around, but he was still in bed. So as I kept playing around on the computer I knew whatever was in there was just curious and playing games with me because I kept hearing little noises around the room and every time I turned around none of the children or my husband had moved an inch in their beds. I decided to take pictures of the family conked out and after I took the picture of my husband I did find a small white orb in the picture. I had no lights on in the room to produce any sort of orb such as this bright white orb besides my flash but I do feel it was the spirit of a child just being curious as children are with new people and playing games with me. I fell asleep eagerly just waiting to see St. Augustine the next day.
We started our day out by exploring the very old Fort Castillo de San Marcos. They had many historical items scattered throughout the fort in glass cases so people could get a sense of the way of life throughout the history of the fort. Old photos of the hundreds of thousands of people including soldiers, slaves and Indians who lived, worked and even died within the walls of the fort, were very intriguing to me. I felt a lot of emotions (almost like echoes) as I slowly walked throughout the rooms and touching the walls. There are many things carved and drawn on the walls of the fort from the soldiers and prisoners. I did a little research on the fort and something I found interesting was that in 1672 Queen Regent of Spain, Mariana had made the decision after an attack on the town, to start construction to build on what is today, Fort Castillo de San Marcos. Beforehand, the Spanish founded town had been defended by nine wooden forts since the beginning in 1565. My children seemed in awe at the old fort and my oldest son was very interested in the history of the fort, which surprised me being that he is only four and a half! As I walked through the different rooms of the fort the chapel was where I felt drawn to the most. I stood there looking at the front of the chapel where I’m sure they must have kept their religious icons and such to pray to. I could almost see and feel the past 500 years in a flash of a few seconds while I stood there. I could only imagine the kinds of things they must have prayed for as the fort had been through so many attacks, and to think of all the tragedies that the people there had gone through just left me standing there in a daze. If you want to know what feels liberating, try standing on the top of Fort de San Marcos. Looking over this amazing, brave town and the beautiful bay refuels my soul each and every time I visit.
After the fort we wandered around the streets popping in and out of some of the shops. One of my favorite was Silver Feather an Indian store with jewelry, dream catchers and such. I ended up buying my children all necklaces made by real Navajo Indians. My oldest wanted an arrow head with turquoise, lapis and jasper. For my daughter I picked a small turtle with the same three stones. A turtle is symbolic of feminine power, strength, fertility, long life and perseverance. For my youngest son Braydon I picked a bear claw with a stone of turquoise in it. Bear claw is significant of leadership, authority, protector and physical strength. My children all have Indian from my husband’s side of the blood line, so I felt very spiritual in buying them these few pieces of jewelry. Almost as if I was connecting them with their ancestors. This was one of the highlights of the trip to me. J
After the long day of wandering around and mainly just sightseeing I managed to take a few street shots. I did feel an abundance of energy throughout the city streets as it began to darken. Although most of the living had cleared the streets and taken to their cars, I could sense a wave of spirit energies and felt almost invited to start taking pictures. So I did. I captured orbs with just about every click of the shutter. As walked along to our van to return to the hotel I saw the Casablanca Inn. I felt inspired to take a quick picture just in case anything wanted to show up for pete's sake, and got a few very distinct orbs in the upper right hand corner of the picture as you will see. We all enjoyed our travel to the other coast and although I didn’t get to do much ghost hunting out there, they seemed to find me just fine.
