SPIRITSreviews

SPIRITS REVIEWS

Truth or Scare?

By Mary Noell

September 2008

The DiscoveryKids channel has entered the realm of the paranormal with a wonderful show, Truth or Scare. Hosted and narrated by Michelle Tractenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, hauntings and other supernatural stories from around the world are presented in well-told tales sure to fascinate younger viewers. Recent episodes have included the Castles of Scotland, the Castles of England, and the "Night Visitors" which included segments on the Bell Witch, Mercy (the last known American "vampire"), Emily's bridge, and Hammond Castle in New England.

Airing late at night, the show's spooky settings, classic horror movie music and Ms Trachtenberg's excellent narration combine to make these stories of restless spirits truly eerie. Although not recommended for children under 7, this show is an excellent source of paranormal happenings that one can easily imagine being told around a campfire in the dark of night or at a slumber party with all the lights out! Children are challenged to make up their own minds...indeed, are the ghostly stories really the TRUTH or only meant to SCARE?

“Footprints in the Snow: Tales of Haunted Russia”

By: James L. Choron, 2007

Reviewed by: Brandy Stark

ISBN: 978-1-9415-06-8

The topic of ghostly lore never ceases to amaze me. From east to west, spirits manifest in similar manners and for similar needs. One area of untapped spectral potential is found in Russia, a vast land of diverse geographic features, which has been actively inhabited with civilizations for several millennia. It has been home to Greek traders, Gallic nomads, and Russian royalty. It has been swallowed up in conflict, from the aggressions of Napoleon to hosting a frontline for both World Wars to the inner turmoil of the Communist Revolution. These factors prove beneficial in Choron’s “Footprints in the Snow” which gives an outlet to the neglected ghost stories of Eastern Europe.

One favored story includes that of Nadia Kozlova, the spirit of an over-achieving school girl. As Russia evolved into a communistic country in the 1920s children were encouraged, in the spirit of Marx, to go for an education. Nadia was an overachiever, striving to get the gold medal for academic excellence and hoping to go to university. She never missed a day of school, she turned in all of her assignments, and she came early to study in the library. This high standard proved to be her undoing. One morning, as she studied in the library, the coal bunker underneath the school ignited in a freak furnace accident. The entire building blew up, killing Nadia and the few staff and faculty there that early in the day. However, Nadia’s insistence at finishing her education, and maintaining her standards, has not stopped. Every day teachers report finding her school work turned in, tucked neatly in a manila envelope that magically manifests. No one sees Nadia, but her presence is certainly felt. Her current GPA: a 4.9957.

Other stories contain mysterious World War I and II soldiers, lost to time but still trapped in this reality. Some are tied to old armaments that are re-discovered buried long forgotten under buildings and wedged in ravines. Some veteran ghosts give marital advice, while others appear hesitant to reveal their purpose to the living at all. There are remnants of tattered communist resistance movements that forever trudge their way out of the motherland, and dead children who still manifest while waiting for their parents to join them on the other side.

Choron, himself an investigator, includes some cases of anomalous imagery and extensive photo analysis. One case involves a reluctant soldier, who the author speculates is a deserter, who refuses to manifest for film. Only a fluke last minute shot, taken as Choron and his group leave the area, captures the outline of this sad figure, shading his eyes and watching the visitors in distrust.

Even the cover is intricately tied to the book. A skeletal figure dressed in the ornate military uniform of old Russia sits slumped in front of its casket. The story to this image can be found within the pages of the text – no spoilers here. You’ll simply have to read the book for yourselves to find it.

Overall, it is a wonderful read. It is not so heavy that it becomes oppressive and negative, yet, unlike certain unmentionable television shows, it is not sensationalized. The reader’s mind can create the circumstances of the manifestation while learning a little of what life is like in Eastern Europe in one of the most transformative times in modern history.

For the Florida Ghost Gathering, we are doing a presentation and a group discussion/review on "The Orb Project" book and the sister video, "Orbs: The Veil is Lifting". This is the general power point to this review which will help to stand in for this month's review. Note: Original powerpoint was created in 2007 but for this program it had to be saved in 97- 03, slighlty altering the quality.

http://www.slideshare.net/bstark/the-orb-project-b/

The Orb Project (book) and Orbs: The Veil is Lifting (video)

Reviewed by: Brandy Stark and SPIRITS of St. Petersburg

June 2008

General thoughts on both: When I was first told of both the book and the video, I was fairly excited. I thought that these sounded like reasonable, well thought out examples of how orbs could be researched both scientifically and spiritually, and the entire set sounded as though they were a synthesis of the two. Even customer reviews indicated that these resources were extremely valuable and, indeed, that they were a scientific basis for paranormal investigators to work with spiritual ideals.

I was disappointed upon reading and viewing both. The book, itself, starts out strong. It seems to utilize strong physics-oriented jargon that the author appears to go through great lengths to "laymanize" for the non-scientist. However, even in my capacity as a religious studies educator, the terminology did not seem to ring true to my eye. To me, it seemed as if the rules of empirical scientific law were a bit too convenient to the orb phenomena. The basic premise appears to be that orbs show up for digital cameras because digital cameras are a) faster (spirit energy is faster) and b) they need the energy/light from the flash to manifest. These are also the biggest deterrents to digital photography because of the flash field, which is hyper-illuminated for many point-and-shoot cameras (they do advise certain brands, but still....) and because digital cameras are so fast they can capture images in front of the lens -- including fast moving air pollution.

The book completely lost me when I read into the religion of Ramtha. This seems to be another offshoot of spiritualism that is attempting to find proof with science, or at least attempting to twist science in order to find proof. Ramtha, itself, reminds me of the old Seth series from the 1960s and 1970s where spiritualists channeled a higher level entity that guided its followers and gave clues into the afterlife.

Please do understand that I, personally, am a believer that eventually religion and science will fold back in on each other. Even today, neuroscientists are starting to acknowledge that thre may be some form of energy that underlies bio-energy, though that is as close as they may come to admitting a soul for the next 20 years (New York Times editorial, citation needed). However, even with this bias, I found the book and the video hard to believe and ultimately I believe that both are simply being used to further the Ramtha agenda.

Many of the orbs, I believe, can be explained. Though the authors attempt to explain false positives (dust, humidity, etc.) these explanations seem to cover the majority of the orbs as shown in the book. Many are outdoor images produced by a large group of people moving about (singing and dancing, which the authors claim "attract entities". That may be so, but it also kicks up a heck of a lot of pollutants in the air). There are some speckled orbs which could be pollen (I do not know enough about the flora and fauna of the area where the images were taken). Even the husband of on of our investigators who watched the movie suggested that one of the anomalies that had me stumped, the "vortex phenomena", might be produced with odd wind currents (note: we still need to experiment with a mister, a hand held fan, and digital cameras to see if we can produce similar images). There are a couple of images that I cannot explain (even hard core skeptics say that there is a "2% category" where orbs do not fall under any known explanation) but perhaps given time...

I think that the final ax for me with this book was this history of the writers. In doing additional research on them, I am impressed by their credentials. Both are highly educated men who have held a variety of important academic positions. However, both appear to have personal agendas to pursue, as based on outside observation from others, their own writings, and other publications. One of the two men appears to be possibly embroiled in some sort of scandal which casts further doubt upon his teachings, though his involvement remains unproven and controversial figures have been attacked with such things in the past.

Overall, however, I WOULD recommend the book and video to paranormal investigators if only to test out the ability to critically think for oneself. It also shows another viewpoint on orbs and it may give some insight to those who follow the more spiritual path and who do believe that orbs are definite proof of the afterlife.

Book Review, Brandy Stark

“Haunted Baseball: Ghosts, Curses, Legends and Eerie Events”

By Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon

Admittedly, I am not a sports fan. However, even I must acknowledge the spot that baseball holds in the hearts of Americans – so much so that the fans and players who give life to the game also give it afterlife. “Haunted Baseball” is a unique look at the haunted history, curses, and supernatural natures that fall into this pastime.

For the St. Petersburg area, and as I am the founder of the SPIRITS of St. Petersburg, three areas of the book particularly caught my interest. The first chapter had in-depth information on an investigation that we did several months ago on Huggins-Stengel Field. In fact, our interviews with various staff manning the park led us to this book; they recommended it highly to us. Indeed, it was worth the purchase. Not only had the authors interviewed many of the staff that we had, they presented comprehensive and well-researched information on the park. I was amazed to learn that a place I had walked by and observed for nearly 20 years was this remarkably historic. Huggins-Stengel Field is one of the oldest baseball fields in the United States. Founded in the 1920s, it was a Spring Training facility for the Yankees. According to the authors, Babe Ruth was so rowdy that the owners wanted to put him somewhere where he could not get into much trouble. St. Petersburg was a sleepy southern town at that time and, with the ballpark, was the perfect non-troubling Spring Training facility for the Babe (p. 4 – 5). Ruth’s legacy was joined by other greats over the years, such as Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Nolan Ryan, Wade Boggs, and many others. As we know, anywhere that history touches, ghosts are left behind. Babe Ruth has been seen at the field by one worker. Some also see baseball coaches of bygone eras. Even the old buildings, where the team locker rooms once were, still buzz with paranormal activity. Some claim to hear voices late at night, doors open and close, and even cigar smoke blows through when no one is around to smoke them.

Connected to the field is another chapter dedicated to the Vinoy. Rumor on the street has it that “Ghosthunters” is going to investigate this resort, which also housed, and still houses, numerous baseball players. The Vinoy is a local hotspot of activity. The ghost tour that I do talks about this “Grand Dame” of downtown as possessing a multitude of ghosts, including the “Nefarious Gentleman” and the “Lady in White.” Some players refuse to stay in certain rooms that they believe are haunted, though the Vinoy historian, oddly, is quoted near the end of the chapter saying that she does not believe the place is haunted.

A third chapter, listed under the “Curses” section, also hits one more home team point: The [Devil] Rays. I loved this chapter as it detailed questions that some Tampa Bay sports fans have been wondering for years: is the Tampa Bay area cursed? Our sports teams do notoriously badly in this regions, remaining years on the bottom of the roster, spiking every now and then to potential greatness only to spend the next eon back on the “bad” list. The “Devil” Rays (now just “The Rays”) fit into this history. The question falls to the stadium, which, rumor has it, was built upon tenement lots, which were, in turn, built upon former graveyards. While the remains were allegedly removed, some believe that the workers were not that careful in removing the dead. The cemeteries in the area were also known for poorly marked tombs; could someone have been left behind? Is the stadium haunted? Is it cursed? (If so, that really would explain a lot about the team!) Perhaps 2008 and 2009 will change that. The Rays, after dropping the “Devil”, did better this year than they ever have in the past…was it simply a quirk with the name?

The remainder of the book takes the reader all over the U.S. to various sports teams, haunting activity, superstitions (it turns out that ball players are quite superstitious), cremains, and curses. It is a fascinating journey for layman and fanatic alike through the dark side of baseball. After getting adjusted to the topic, the book was addictive. It is a fun and easy read, and comes highly recommended by this paranormal investigator.

“Haunted Baseball” is available in many bookstores and online through Amazon.com. The listed cover price is $14.95.

Equipment Review

Part 2

Brandy Stark, November 2008

For the past month, the SPIRITS have tried to use the Puck as often as possible. Repeated tests were done to see how it reacted to different situations. Locations were selected that were reputed to be haunted as well as not haunted, and the Puck was used with a single individual and with a group. Two tests were done on official SPIRITS investigations, 4 locations were single-member investigations, and the rest were random location tests. By the end of the month, it was tested at UT three times, one time at three seperate "haunted" locations in Gainesville, four times in a single paranormal investigation at the Heritage Hotel, one time at my own home, used twice at 62nd Terrace and demonstrated at at Eckerd College and Channel 10 studios.

The results were mixed as the Puck behaves oddly. Two of the three tests at UT produced similiar words and phrases, which were not matched by other investigations. The Heritage Hotel also had a similar effect with church-ladened words. The Puck would not work at all in the Gainesville Cemetery, though the EMF meter spiked indicating an entity that wanted to communicate with me. Twice during investigations, and one seperate time, the Puck started "answering" questions, then simply stopped responding, though EMF was still detected. It also "answered" in non-haunted locations (Eckerd and Channel 13).

The words do appear to be quite random, but the interesting aspect is how the themes of the words seem to sometimes match. UT had a reoccuring issue with "face" (saving face?), "cattle", "coast", "video", "Larry" and "east". In the third session, however, the "entity" seemed flirtatious. As two weeks elapsed between tests (I had consistently tested the same day of week and time prior to that) I asked if the entity missed me. It answered "faith" and the remainder of the word selection did not match the first two sessions, even with prompting. The Heritage Hotel had a series of words dealing with the church (faith, church, falling faith, etc.) but also liked "tilt", "coast" and "east". Gainesville had an issue with fallen faith, "behind" (i.e., behind the building) and, possibly, a bad relationship. In several locations "Kansas" came up, as did "rapture" ("Where will the rapture happen? "Kansas"). A few times the Puck left people in fits of laughter, as at the Heritage when, as the computer was perched on a bed, the phrase "deep rapture" came up following another rather odd phrase ("Harry blow").

With a limited word bank, some questions arise. If an entity uses the words to respond to questions, is it answering phonetically? If a word sounds similar to what it wants to say, does it use that word? Take, for example, "night" and "knight" or "right" and "write". If an entity wanted to say that it "writes on knights" but can only say "right night" via the Puck this can, theoretically, throw off an investigator's interpretation. Or, if it wanted to say something advanced, like "genome" and could only find "gnome" then the Puck's limited vocabulary can drastically alter the meaning of response. Additionally, proper nouns can be a problem. "Larry" showed up several times at UT as "Sandra" did at Gainesville. Yet, there are not many proper names listed in the Puck for an entity to select from so these may have to become standard substitutes for other proper terms. The same may apply to Kansas, which may simply becomes a term meaning not literally FROM Kansas but "from out of this state" or "not in this state of being."

The phonetic setting is meant to take up some of this slack, but the syllables move so quickly that the computerized voice becomes nothing but noise. To date, I have not been able to make out any words with the syllables unless the Puck is set to allow for multiple voices to simultaneously speak. Then the issue becomes if these words are simply the end statements belonging to various voices; as each voice concludes, it finishes a full word as phonetic sounds are attached to the words in the dictionary. Also, the Puck's program does not seem to record phonetic sessions as it does word sessions. It's harder to hear and, without the visual re-enforcement, much harder to track what is being said with this setting.

However, the jury is still out on the usefulness of the Puck. It is another research tool but does it serve as a combination of ink blot/synchronicity in the sense of allowing investigators to look into the random words for meaning? Or is it a new way of communicating with the dead utilizing a limited word bank that matches to controlled EM fluctuations? That remains to be seen.

Equipment Review

Part 1

Brandy Stark, October 2008

In recent months, the SPIRITS of St. Petersburg has undergone a transformation of sorts. We have worked to gain some new equipment for the team, including an official laptop with EVP software, microphone and speakers. The other purpose of the laptop was to support our newest acquisition: The Paranormal Puck. This little device was first introduced to the team at our Florida Ghost Gathering by our guest of honor, Patrick Burns. It, and its sibling, the Ovilus (which the SPIRITS hopes to order in October) have been featured on Paranormal State, Haunting Evidence, and by the Travel Channel’s GAC group.

Its odd name comes from its small box-like shape (it sort of looks like a hockey puck). However, don’t let its small size fool you. The Paranormal Puck is a small gift from above as it monitors temperature, EMF and even offers a voice capacity via computer screen. It is a wonderful tool for stationary readings during investigations. The software that comes with the Puck allows the user to set alarms should the EM reach certain levels as well. With a screen capture setting the data can be collected and stored for later viewing.

The most interesting aspect of this device, however, is its voice capacity. The Puck has 3,000 words programmed into its memory. Based on the fluctuation of EM fields, these words are synchronized with the field. Users can ask questions by typing them into the computer and wait for the Puck to initiate a response. The voice can be reset to include phonetics as well as words, and programming allows for as many as four voices to speak at once. The phonetic program, however, can produce sounds that are hard to interpret through the computerized voice so the word or multi-voice responses appear to produce the best results.

In order to get the Puck, however, its creator has instituted a strict policy. Forms must be filled out acknowledging user’s sanity of mind, that the Puck is for use for entertainment purposes only, and that it be kept away from children or people that may be harmed by seeing it function. It is not avowed that the words have any meaning beyond coincidence, which makes sense regardless of belief. Random selection of words, controlled or uncontrolled, can produce phrases that make “sense” or that can allow for interpretation. The bottom line regarding the Puck’s voice function: It is what it is.

We have experimented with the Puck in September but with October approaching, this little device is about to get quite the workout. A secondary report updating its use will follow for November.

To learn more on the Puck, please see: http://www.digitaldowsing.com/puck.htm

Review of ' Paranormal State'

Mary N.

This most recent entry into the world of the paranormal is perhaps the most ridiculous of all. A group of Penn State students have formed an investigative team to ferret out all manner of spirits, using methods that are questionable at best.

In the opening segment, the group took on the case of a young child who sees 'dead people,' particularly a man known as Timmy. His parents, believing him to be a bit 'unbalanced,' have taken him to a number of psychologists. Enter the paranormal investigation team complete with their own psychologist who pronounced the child emotionally sound, meaning, presumably, that he does indeed see dead people.

Relying heavily on the ritual of the Catholic Church, Ryan, the groups’s leader, sprinkled holy water around the house and made the sign of the cross over every opening so that a benign Timmy will leave the child in peace. After proclaiming success and that the boy will no longer experience this haunting, Ryan took the child aside to comfort him with a bedtime story of his own boyhood encounter with the paranormal ...menacing entities that lived in his closet! Never fear, however..... Ryan gave him a large bottle of holy water to throw at whatever previously unknown creatures may now emerge from the six year-old’s closet!

In a throw-back to the Middle Ages, this series uses rituals, holy water, banishment ceremonies and incantations rather than scientific and technical approaches in the study of spirits and hauntings. This show is more a source of propaganda for the Catholic Church than it is a serious investigation of the paranormal. It is not worth the effort to turn on the TV.

Review for December

Submitted by SPIRITS contributor, Jennifer Sunday

Illuminating the Afterlife – Your Soul’s Journey Through the Worlds Beyond

Cyndi Dale

Ever since losing a part of my spirit through the death of a friend, I have been stuck in a never-ending search for answers of what really happens when we die. After joining a spiritual book club, Illuminating the Afterlife was one of the many books I chose. This book was a comforting and interesting read.

Illuminating the Afterlife combines Quantum and Newtonian physics, mathematics, esoteric philosophy and the ancient knowledge of the twelve dimensions, also referred to as planes or levels, which occupy places in the space-time continuum. The twelve dimensions of focus are based upon ancient Egyptian beliefs of the afterlife.

Each of the twelve dimensions presented in this book are associated with an auric field, chakra, location/function, color, plane of light and transitional metal. This book somehow lead me to try one of these transitional metals myself, silver (colloidal). How and why, I do not know, but my body seems to crave it now and it has helped some of my ailments. Not all homeopathic remedies are for everyone and some have adverse side effects, so please consult your doctor before trying colloidal silver or any other unconventional treatment!

There is only one downfall I could find in this book, the fact that at times it seemed a bit repetitive. With that said, Illuminating the Afterlife remains one of the better books I have read on what we might expect in the afterlife. I recommend this book to anyone who needs enlightenment or reassurance of the afterlife.

Review for January 2008

Submitted by SPIRITS member, Mary N.

Grave Justice, TruTV, Saturday

I came across this show quite by accident yesterday while channel-surfing. It is an interesting twist on true crime stories. In this show the victim acts as the narrator for what happened to him. In this particular episode a young man had died of thalliun poisoning, but his cause of death had been overlooked by the doctors. The young man appears as a spirit narrator of what happened and how the case was solved. There is one unique difference in that he has no idea how he died nor who killed him....he merely watches the forensic events unfold! As he narrates, his spirit wanders through the cemetery where he is buried and the hospital where he died.

The presentation is quite different and for that reason somewhat "creepy" to certain viewers. I can only imagine what the family members of the real victims think. Watch for yourselves and judge!

January 2009

Movie Review: The Spirit

By: Brandy Stark

Posted: MySpace Blog

Click HERE for Review

Feb. 2009:

Ghost Stories of the Maritimes

By: Vernon Oickle

Reviewed by: Brandy Stark

This was a gift from a friend who went to Canada. This book compiles tales about Canadian ghost stories form the Maritime provinces. Some of the best stories include the old sea salt stories of "gray" beings who warn of danger. These tend to be a little more colorful -- the book details its warning entity as a headless gray lady who walks on water to warn ships to return to port before storms hit. My personal favorite is the story of a neice who inherited her aunt's estate. She sold off most of the estate except for an antique mirror which she put into her bedroom. At night, the mirror started to glow, waking the neice. Removing the mirror from the wall, she discovered a false back filled with money (I would love to have an aunt leave me an inheritance in that way!)

The book has the typical ghost stories but with a little bit of northerly flavor to them. Stories come from Port Medway, Sackville, Sable Island, Horseshoe Cove, Port Hawkesbury, Yarmouth, Charlottetown, Bathurst, Bridgetown, Sussex, and more. It is a pretty easy read. It's a great pick up and a nice connection to our cousins on the continent!

April. 2009:

The Uninvited: The True Story of the Union Screaming House

By: Steven LaChance

Reviewed by: Erin Chios

Recently, I read the book "The Uninvited: The True Story of the Union Screaming House" by Steven LaChance. This book is the true story of the author, who is looking for a house to rent and finds the perfect one in small-town Union, Missouri. The ad in the papers calls it, "The right house at the right price for the right family." Even though the landlord is a bit odd, Steven loves the house and immediately moves in with his three young children. The first thing they noticed was that nobody would walk on the sidewalk in front of their house, instead crossing to the other side of the street as soon as they got to the property line. In the days after they moved in, other things started happening: doors opening by themselves, the sound of boxes moving across the floor, the youngest child running screaming from the basement claiming to have seen a monster, and every night when they came home, all the lights in the house would be on. Steven brushed it off as nothing out of the ordinary, until he sees a black figure walking toward him. In the days that follow, the happenings in the house turn more sinister. They see the black figure again, followed by loud booming sounds, rattling doors, and bloodcurdling screams coming from the house. Steven's children are locked in a bedroom. Finally, after the last days of terror, the family breaks the lease and moves out of the house. The house is evil. They had lived there less than a month.

A few years later, Steven gets a call from woman who knows the family currently living in the Union house, and wants him to meet with the mother, Helen. The same things are happening to them, only they can't afford to move. Steven and a few others form a paranormal investigation team, focused on figuring out what plagues the Union house. Before they can do this, Helen is possessed, and her family is unraveling. It's a race against time as Steven and the others attempt to save this family.

This book is truly creepy, and a glimpse into pure evil. It is creepy to the point that I have to keep it in a drawer because I don't like to look at the cover. It definitely keeps your attention, and I had a hard time putting it down. It is scary and suspenseful, and I can't believe that something so horrible really happened to these families. I recommend this book, and I also recommend keeping all the lights on when you read it.

March. 2009:

Haunted Houses

By: Edrick Thay

Reviewed by: Brandy Stark

This was a gift from the SPIRITS of the Season event and appears to be of the same series as Ghost Stories of the Maritimes reviewed in February. The book does seem to be cashing in on the current "hype" stories. Several of the stories relate to well-known horror tales (Hull House, General Lee's Home, Waverly Mansion, Mackenzie House and so on).

The author is pretty obvious in his attempt to create an atmosphere that reminds me of a poorly done ghost tour -- the type that tells the group a tale of horror, shuts off the lights and slams a door to "scare" folks into a supernatural stupor. It's a bit overdone and it gets to be a bit unreal.

However, that done I will say that I read this book while vacationing in Colorado. Waiting for my hostess, I clipped through another story about a ghost who walked the ramparts of his keep. At about that time, ironically enough, one of the handymen who works for my hostess had come, and unbeknown to me, climbed up onto the roof of the house to clean the gutters. The house was built in such a way that the room that I was in had a nearly eye-level view of one part of the roof. As I read the story of the man on the rampart and caught the movement of the man walking on the roof I nearly had a heart attack! It took me a moment to pull out of the book and realize that the man was real, not a vengeful spirit made manifest by my reading. I guess that the book did supply a cheap thrill.

The chapters are pretty fast to read. I would, personally, liked to have read of a few pleasant hauntings as pretty much all of the ghostly tales were of unhappy haunts. It did get a bit overwhelming to read in a short amount of time (see above story). The book is not one of my favorites but ranks around average. It is good to use to get the basic story of famous hauntings and isn't a bad thing to cover if one has the time, though I'm not sure that I would go out and buy it to specifically add to my ghostly knowledge. Let's just say that it's good for casual reading.

“Beloved”

By: Toni Morrison

Review by Brandy Stark

Summary: The story of “Beloved” focuses on Sethe, a former slave who ran pregnant, whipped, and bleeding, for freedom. Though she had grown up with kindness, when her owner died the kindness did as well. Sexually attacked by the family of the new owners, she fled. On the journey, she birthed her fourth child, Denver. Having sent her other three children ahead of her own escape, she rejoined them at the home of her mother-in-law, Baby Suggs, a freed former slave. While waiting for Halle, her husband, to join them Sethe enjoyed the best days of her life. However, these days were not to last. The “Fugitive Slave Bill” was still enforced and her owner came to get her. Panicked at his approach, Sethe went mad. Gathering her children, she attempted to kill them and herself, though she succeeded in only killing her first born daughter. There, her life, and the lives of her family, becomes suspended in time. Arrested for murder and eventually exonerated for insanity, she returned to Baby Suggs. Suggs, demoralized, dies, Sethe’s two sons, who survive her attack, flee, leaving Sethe and Denver alone.

Or are they truly alone? The house, inherited from Suggs, has a haint. There are sounds of something crawling up the stairs. The dog, Here Boy, cowers from an invisible hand that attacked him. Denver grows up playing with an imaginary playmate.

The story shifts when Paul D, another runaway slave from Sethe’s youth, appears. He brings with him the possibility of a new future. Halle never emerged from “Sweet Home”. Paul D, when walking into the house, experiences a strange red pool of light. He knows something is wrong but it is not until the ghost attacks him, and he fights back, that the story transforms. Accepted by Sethe as the way to a new future, and as the three work to create a new life, Beloved, a mysterious woman falls on the doorstep. Paul D describes the situation as such: “…that girl in her house scares me the most….First minute I saw her I didn’t want to be nowhere around her. Something funny about her. Talks funny. Acts funny….When we got back, there she was – ‘sleep on a stump. Silk dress. Brand-new shoes. Black as oil…”(276-277).

Beloved is an enigma. She appears awkward and unable to walk. She laps up water at an alarming rate. She is too weak to move. Denver cares for her, teaching her to eat and helping her to regain her strength. Slowly, Beloved becomes a fixture in the home, pushing Paul D out and domineering Sethe. She seems to know things about Sethe that no one else does, even singing the song Sethe made up for her children. Her name matches the word Sethe put upon her child’s tombstone: “Beloved” (short for “Dearly Beloved”).

The question, then, is who IS Beloved? There are a few choices to consider.

Beloved is the daughter that Sethe killed. The child was called the “already crawling baby” but remained unnamed. She was young, still suckling at her mother’s breast. Denver immediately accepts her as the incarnation of the ghost. She states directly that “Beloved is my sister” (p. 242). Sethe believes that Beloved is “my daughter. She mine. See, she come back to me of her own free will and I don’t have to explain a thing.” The town folk also believe that this is Sethe’s child returned. (“It was Ella more than anyone who convinced the others that a rescue was in order” (p. 301).

Beloved is Sethe’s mother. Sethe remembers her mother only vaguely, but remembers that her mother was burned for insubordination. “I wonder what they was doing when they was caught. Running, you think? No. Not that. Because she was my ma’am and nobody’s ma’am would run off and leave her daughter, would she? Would she now? Leave her in the yard…” (p. 240). Even the chapter of Beloved’s thoughts indicate that she was on a slave ship. (“I am always crouching…the man on my face is dead…his eyes are locked” (p. 248). The descriptions of a man and a woman that she loved sound remarkably like parents, perhaps Sethe’s grandparents coming over from Africa. The woman “she goes into the water with my face” (p. 251). “Sethe’s is the face that left me. Sethe sees me see her and I see the smile” (p. 253).

There is also a strange role reversal between Sethe and Beloved. Denver notes, “…and little by little it dawned on Denver that if Sethe didn’t wake up one morning and pick up a knife, Beloved might. Frightened as she was by the thing in Sethe that could come out, it shamed her to see her mother serving a girl not much older than herself” (p. 285). Sethe gives Beloved her portion of food and eventually becomes emaciated so that Beloved looked large by her.

Beloved is simply a runaway slave who is ill. When Paul D discusses the situation with Stamp Paid, Paid responds with “You don’t say? Huh. Was a girl locked up in the house with a whiteman over by Deer Creek. Found him dead last summer and the girl gone. Maybe that’s her. Folks say he had her in there since she was a pup” (p.. 277). Even Sethe thought that she was a runaway slave when she first met the girl, and Paul D thought she had Cholera.

Beloved represents the past. All of the characters seem to be trapped in the past. Paul D relives his experience being sold, fleeing, and running away only to be captured throughout the book. He has learned to run, not to settle, and his heart no longer beats but is like a rusted over tin can. Sethe’s life, her happiness, ended when she saw “the four horsemen came – schoolteacher, one nephew, one slave catcher and a sheriff” (. P. 172). Denver, though only a month old at the time of her sister’s death, lived a life of isolation and fear. Completely dependent upon her mother, she rarely left the house.

Beloved appears at a juncture when Sethe is looking toward the future. She begins to consider Paul D as a potential life partner, and she learns a little of what happened to her husband. Paul D starts to look to a life of not running, of settling down with a woman he loves. She holds power over Denver, who fears being left alone with her mother and that strange murderous rage.

Beloved is a force that pushes Paul D away from the house, returns Sethe to the role of a doting mother who sacrifices herself for the child who came back. It is Beloved’s control of the house that forces Denver to grow up in the sense that she must leave the house, take a job, and ask the townsfolk for help.

Miscellaneous suggestions from class discussion: The first discussion about Beloved brought some unique responses from students. One was that Beloved represented not just the past, but the sensation of loneliness. Sethe missed the good days when she was one with a loving community. Paul D missed the love of a family. Denver feared her mother and did not wish to be left alone again.

So, as the reader reviews the book try to consider what Beloved is...whatever she may be, the use of the supernatural augments this tale to a level of drawing the reader in to a world of tragedy and hope.

Body World Exhibit

Review by: Brandy Stark

As this is cross-posted with my own site, please see:

http://starkimages.homestead.com/bodyworld.html

“"The Ghost Makers” (The Shadow).

Published 1932, 1960

Maxwell Grant

This is a blast from the past. The Shadow, he who “knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men” is a personal favorite pulp hero. A man of mystic abilities, the Shadow wages a one-man war against evil.

While this review is technically of the book, which features fraudulent mediums who use trickery in crimes, the Shadow, himself, is an interesting enigma. Depending on the version produced, he either has para-human abilities of dexterity and mind or he is a psychic able to “cloud men’s minds” and perform other minor telepathic skills. His abilities advance along with the pulp stories and by the 1960s and 1970s, he is a full-out superhero. His alter ego is still debated by Shadow fans -- is he Lamont Cranston or Kent Allard? Various pulp/radio/TV/movie present vying views.

I have read many of the books which were born in this series of novels. The ideas emerge from a mixture of the fascination of foreign cultures, human abilities, science, and empowering the powerless. This one book, however, is special. A reprint of the 1930’s edition, this novel advances The Shadow against actual “shadows”. Well, sort of, anyway. The book details an ingenious ring of thieves who go about drawing in wealthy socialites through fraudulent mediums. This gang, unfortunately, shows some of the typical religious confusion about the east, combining Islamic titles with Hindu mysticism. However, the Shadow also exposes some of the tricks used by actual fraudulent mediums in the 1800s and 1900s. There is the telescoping watch trick, where a nearly invisible wand is somehow drawn out of a watch (a la telescope-type technology). This clever device also has a balloon at the end of it which, when the wand is held up to the lips of the medium can be blown up into the figure of a floating baby or of a human face. Even the old slate trick is used (false bottom with pre-written script on it), the floating trumpet is explained away, and chairs with removable arms are used to create the illusion that a medium is tied securely to a chair when, in fact, they can move about.

The insidious part of this is that this mob actually stalks the wealthy, looking for ways to exploit the rich. If these folks don’t have a spiritual hang up at the start, the gang happily murders their closest relatives. Women are usually the targets of the “scam” and the skeptical men, who, of course, see through the tricks, are usually the ones killed. One bright note is the reputed skeptic who attempts to “dissuade” people from going into the sessions is, in fact, the mastermind behind the plot.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who is interested in The Shadow, and one of the few to actually involve ghosts to this extent through the plot. While the enter plot is about fraudulence, the book is still a fun read, especially for anyone who likes nostalgia. Amazon books may carry copies and recent reprinted editions of several Shadow novels have also come out.

“Florida’s Ghostly Legends and Haunted Folklore: North Florida and St. Augustine” (V. 2).

By: Greg Jenkins, 2005

Reviewed by: Brandy Stark

In this edition of a three book set, Jenkins continues to gather folklore from Florida’s freaky past. Some of the stories, such as those associated with St. Augustine’s fort, the May-Stringer House, and the Herlong Mansion, are well known. Many are now part of ghost tours, TV shows and a paranormal investigator’s check list. Some stories are not as well circulated, such as the ghosts of lovers at Silver Spring, the demonic activities of the now-defunct School Four, or the mystery of the Carriage House Apartments.

Jenkins does attempt investigations at several of the locations and offers his own personal insights at the end of each chapter. On a couple of occasions he does have some activity produced. Be aware, however, that in the every changing world of Florida landscape, some of the locations within may no longer exist. Even as the book was being compiled, the Homestead Restaurant was already shut down and School Four was slated to be destroyed to make way for condos.

The flow of the text is certainly there and it’s an easy read to digest. The back stories are always interesting and expanding knowledge of the haunted nature of Florida is always a great way to spend some time.

“Ghost Whisperer”

ScyFy, Monday evenings

Review by: Brandy Stark (10-09)

One decent thing that ScyFy has done is to buy up the old episodes of “Ghost Whisperer”. This show is an obvious fiction as we see a cohesive written plot revolving around a married couple, her newly formed shop, and, of course, the ghosts that show up needing help. However, this is what makes it good for watching. It does not espouse the same poor values of the “real life” investigation shows, but shows compassion for the departed in need.

Jennifer Love Hewitt does an adequate job as the psychic (Melinda Gordon) in the show. Young, beautiful and successful, she is probably doing better than most people – psychic or not – in the real world. Yet, she has to struggle with her gift. Ghosts appear to her at all times and in all locations. It seems that no matter where she goes, there is a ghost somewhere in the vicinity that comes home with her. (I must say that her gorgeous husband, played by David Conrad, is VERY patient with her. Not only does he tolerate the ghosts and her interactions with them, he even helps her to solve the cases! I don’t know how any form of intimacy could exist in a marriage where ghosts appear at all times, even while the couple is in bed….). It is also interesting to note that the show reveals how she deals with skeptics and how she has been mocked in the past for her gift. It’s not easy to be different, and psychic powers make one quite unique. Happily, she finds people who accept her for who she is.

In the most recently aired episodes at the time of the writing of this review, I must say that I am amazed at how the show is so involving, creepy, yet calming at the same time. Entities also appear as malevolent and even as a member of the audience I feel a bit uncomfortable when the entities first appear. Yet, as the ghosts become known to the characters, and thus the viewers, they take on a more human and less threatening appearance. This can be well traced from the episode where Conrad’s character has an entity attached to him; the ghost is a former convict and wife abuser. Melinda notes her husband’s change in temperament and knows that he must have an attachment, but it does not reveal itself to her at first. When the ghost appears, he is tattooed, menacing, and intimidating. Yet, as Hewitt works with him, we learn that he is trapped on this side because he needs help apologizing to those that he harmed in life. In a touching moment, he reaches out to touch his son. Though the boy can’t see his father, he can sense him as made obvious through clever camera shots. The ghost is able to find peace and crosses over, leaving the couple in peace once again.

The shows also do touch on malevolent entities. One episode ended with the ghost of a suicidal comedian finding peace and departing, only to have Hewitt confronted by a faceless form in a hat (I believe a shadow figure) and a man who mockingly laughed at her. The two entities slide out of the door without actually walking out; the impact is unsettling and certainly puts us in her shoes for an instant.

If you want to catch the reruns of an entertaining show currently going into its fifth season, ScyFy is the place to do it. Ghost Whisperer is worth the time to watch it and I’d recommend it to those with an interest in the paranormal. Just take it with a grain of salt and remember that it is a television show, and enjoy it for what it is: great para-drama.

“The Hidden Messages in Water”

Masaru Emoto

Reviewed by Brandy Stark

This book made the New York Times Bestseller list, which, according to the author, is, itself, a miracle. Masaru Emoto, a scientist, self-published the book and sent it out to friends. These friends were so fascinated that they also ordered books and passed them on. Like a ripple in a pond, the book eventually grew to Bestseller status.

The proposal here is that Masaru Emoto wanted to photograph water crystals. After several failed attempts, he, with the help of others, finally succeeded in capturing the crystal image. Noting vibratory affects in water, he exposed different samples to a variety of music. Rock music created fragmented crystals, classical music beautiful reflective images. In continuing his experiments, the team opted to expose water to words – positive and negative. Again, the water exposed to negativity did not form crystals; positive did.

The author continues to reflect that humans are made of water. Just as his samples responded to positive and negative, he proposes that humans, and even the earth, may do the same. After all, we come from the water of the womb, we are made of 70% water, and the earth is covered with the same substance. In an interesting jump, Masaru goes from scientific experimentation to discussing the “spirit of the word” (143) – how words, vibrations, and intentions can affect water, the world, and us. While this sounds rather Buddhist-centered (Masaru is from Japan), in a philosophical and practical way, it makes sense. We already know that our behaviors produce reactions – positive and negative. As Masaru proposes, why not attempt for the positive? To affect our surroundings for the better through positive mindsets and behaviors is certainly possible. Isn’t that the goal?

Though it reads a bit like a New Age text, the thoughts within are certainly interesting and give one pause. It really does matter what we say, and how we say it. For that reason, I’d recommend the book for reading.

Review of Extreme Paranormal, A&E

Mary Noell

Extreme Paranormal, the latest entry into the hodgepodge of shows on the paranormal, should make every serious investigator furious at its lack of ethics and of morals. Crafted to garner ratings, it reeks of sensationalism, black magic, and the occult.

In the most recent episode, this team visited a prison (now abandoned) that had been the scene of a very violent uprising in the 1980s . According to the story, the inmates attacked the “snitches” in one cell block, butchering several of them. One was even hung and set on fire, dying a very painful and terrifying death. This unfortunate inmate is said to still haunt the site of his grisly execution. Permanent scorch marks from the fire are supposedly still evident on the concrete floor. It was at this cell that this team engaged in the worst exhibition of callousness and sadism that I have ever witnessed on a paranormal investigation.

Shaun, the lead investigator, Nathan, the occultist, and Jason, the tech specialist foolishly dared the dead and any demonic forces to attack them. Nathan actually offered his own blood in a rite of necromancy to bring back the prisoner who was burned alive to make him re-live his horrific death. They used rituals for summoning the dead that included pentagrams, blood spilling, and even spells to contact the undead.

Although the network (A & E) that produces this horror show gives the disclaimer that parts of the rituals are omitted for so that they cannot be done at “home,.” this does not hide a glaring lack of integrity and moral responsibility on the part of the network and the show’s sponsors. Who really expects young, easily impressionable teens or others swayed by the “thrill” of danger to be mindful of this disclaimer?

It is the duty of the entire paranormal investigative community to rise up in protest against the use of the spirit world to sell products and shows. If we don’t hold the networks and sponsors accountable, then who will? It truly is time, no, beyond time, to regulate and police what is carried on in the name of “paranormal research.” If we don’t,. then what future atrocities will there be?

Addition by Brandy Stark:

The response to this show created enough outrage among paranormalists that at least one petition went around. At last check, nearly 500 had signed the petition stating their displeasure with the show and A&E for producing it. While this may not seem like a significant number, for a world as fragmented and divided as paranormal investigation is, this is a remarkable feat. It is the first time that I have seen any form of cohesive gathering from paranormalists to decry a television show.

I do find it interesting that a later voice came out from other paranormal groups who said that we have no right to judge the methods of others. I, personally, disagree with this. These TV shows are claiming to represent paranormal investigation. As an investigator I can tell you that none of these shows truly represents me, or my team's, approach or philosophy toward this field and what we do. I am highly concerned with the increase of hostile reports from people, and with the number of ghosts who currently appear to have an entitlement attitude. WIth so much focus on the para-world, who is to say that it's not because of the sensationalized fame given voice by the television shows? Unlike what is shown in "Extreme Paranormal", what of issues of compassion and respect that should be featured in dealing with the living AND the dead?

It is my hope that the tide of poor TV programming with cease. The over-exposure of a field that is more serious than what is shown may have detrimental effects yet unknown.