PHOTO: The Gurdon Light - Gurdon, Arkansas

Gurdon Light

The Gurdon Light is one of the better-known, and examined, cases of "ghost lights."  First reported in Gurdon, Arkansas (US) around 1931, the Gurdon Light is seen over the railroad tracks in the small town in Clark County, Arkansas.  It is clearly visible, and attracts flocks of spectators -- especially around Halloween.

This photograph was taken in 1994 by the immensely popular US TV show, Unsolved Mysteries (see sidebar).  It was one of the first photos of the phenomenon considered "credible" by the scientific community.  Other photographs and footage of The Gurdon Light captured both before and since 1994 have taken on added significance, but I chose this one due to its historical import (and Fair Use).

Ghost Lights go by many names, including faery fires and corpse candles, and have been seen across the world for centuries.  They seem to be most prolific in Welsh legend, but are far from unique to the UK.  Prevailing theories explaining the Ghost Lights phenomenon include magnetic fields, mineral deposits, and the infamous "swamp gas."  While some instances are known to be manufactured (usually by, and for, criminal means), there is no official explanation for Ghost Lights.

Arkansas' Gurdon Light remains unexplained.

© The Weirding, 2018

Zetetic Scholar

Anomalistics and Zetetics - Marcello Tuzzi

Marcello Truzzi and Ron Westrum co-founded the Center for Scientific Anomalies Research (CSAR) in 1976, two years after Truzzi was forced-out of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP).  Following Truzzi's departure, CSICOP changed its journal's name to the Skeptical Inquirer.

Zetetic Scholar was the journal for open-minded, but cautiously skeptical, proponents of the paranormal -- in response to what Truzzi felt were attempts by organizations like CSICOP to debunk such claims, despite the findings of research and investigations.  CSICOP is a known "CoIntelPro" operation which has received funding directly from the US government and private entities over the years in exchange for their "skepticism."  Known CoIntelPro (CIA) operative, and professional "skeptic," James Randi, was a frequent contributor.

Several issues of Zetetic Scholar are available for download online.  The last issue appeared in 1987, and Truzzi died in 2003.  CSAR mostly existed as a concept and not a practicing organization.  Marcello Truzzi's "zeteticism" translates to "pseudoskepticism."

© The Weirding, 2016

RIP Harold Ramis, aka Dr. Egon Spengler, Ghostbuster

Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters

Harold Ramis has died at age 69 due to complications related to auto-immune inflammatory vasculitis, which he had been battling for years. Although he has a list of impressive credits a mile long, I am writing an obit for him on The OddBlog because he will best be remembered as Dr. Egon Spengler from the classic comedy, Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters is an American pop-cultural touchstone, but it's of special interest to those of us who enjoy discussing ghosts and the Supernatural. A comedy classic centered on the paranormal, one of the many reasons it is so notable is that it set the Hollywood standard for theme songs. 

While countless movie theme songs have become hits both before and after Ghostbusters, the incredible popularity of both the movie and song swept the world, making "ghostbusters" a household word. Ray Parker, Jr.'s classic pop song also introduced the phrase, "Who ya gonna call?" into the American vernacular. The movie inspired a sequel, as well as a Saturday Morning Cartoon.

Co-star, Dan Aykroyd's, father was a paranormal investigator in real life, known then as a Ghostbreaker. Peter Aykroyd's book, A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters, was the basis for the film. Many of the movie's themes are based on actual theories from the field of parapsychology, though obviously not meant to be taken seriously given that it's a comedy. Still, the popularity of the film made paranormal investigation somewhat more acceptable to the mainstream, and sparked a general interest in matters of the Supernatural outside of a religious context.

Ramis not only appeared in the film, he co-wrote it with co-stars Aykroyd and Rick Moranis. Aykroyd claims to have experienced the Supernatural and has even written about it.

Our condolences to Harold Ramis' friends and family.

© The Weirding, 2014

Ghost Adventures - Bonnie Springs Ranch

Bonnie Springs Ranch in Blue Diamond, Nevada, was built in the 1960s on top of a trail that was a stop-over for travelers heading to the west coast in the 1800s.  Traveling the old Spanish trail was an extremely dangerous task.  Numerous travelers died from attacks, sickness, and exposure to the elements.

The travelers went through a lot of mental, physical, and emotional pain which could explain the odd occurrences that frequently happen at Bonnie Springs today.  Recent visitors and investigators have reported hearing voices, odd feelings -- one even left with large scratches down her back!

One witness, who has worked around the ranch for 30 years, claims he once saw the merry-go-round on the playground spinning on its own.  As he approached the merry-go-round to get a better look, it came to a sudden, dead stop!  This experience, and many more, have convinced him that there is a strong spiritual force at the Bonnie Springs Ranch.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ghost Adventures - Return to the Goldfield Hotel

This Friday, Zak, Nick, and Aaron return to a place that is notorious among Ghost Adventures fans: Goldfield, Nevada, is where Zak and Nick conducted one of their first investigations.  The Goldfield Hotel is where they caught the infamous clip of a flying brick.  Since that day, Zak and Nick have always wanted to return to the location of their very first ghost adventure.

However, the Goldfield Hotel is not all about warm memories.  There are former workers who are terrified to enter the premises.  During the pre-lockdown investigation, a former custodian admits to Nick that she was recently attacked in her home by a spirit that she believes followed her from the hotel. 

She also believes the attack was a warning for Zak, Nick, and Aaron.

The building has more than its share of dark history: The hotel's owner, George Wingfeild, was one of the most powerful men in Nevada during California's historical Gold Rush.  He is famous for operating a mining company in Goldfield, but also infamous for his crimes.  Wingfeild kept a young prostitute named Elizabeth hostage in the hotel while she was pregnant with his child.  Shortly after giving birth, both Elizabeth and her child were found dead.  Many people still believe Elizabeth and her baby were murdered by George Wingfield.

Though the Ghost Adventures crew are very excited to return to Goldfield, they are also worried, because the spirits have had six years to plan for their return.  This is definitely an episode you don't want to miss!

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ghost Adventures - Pico House Hotel

The Pico House Hotel in Los Angeles has seen everything from lavish parties to a bloody race riot at it's doorstep. The building's history reaches back to before Los Angeles was a part of the United States. The Ghost Adventures crew will team up with the Hollywood Ghost Hunters to tackle the Pico House Hotel's dramatic history. Kane Hodder ("Jason"), R.A. Mihailoff ("Leatherface"), and stuntman Rick McCallum join Zak, Nick, and Aaron for the very first paranormal lockdown at this hotel.

In 1880, a shootout between Chinese gangs resulted in the death of an anglo police officer. There were already strong racial tensions in the community and the accident fueled the fire. What resulted was a bloody, racially-charged riot that led to the deaths of 19 people right in front of the Pico House Hotel. The angry and violent energy from that riot continues to have an effect on the hotel today.

One guard recalls hearing noises on the floor below him. As he walked down the stairs to investigate the noise, he was violently kicked in the back by an unseen force. He promptly quit his job the next morning. 

Maybe Jason from Friday the 13^th and Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre III can draw these violent spirits out to play.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ghost Adventures - Kell's Irish Pub

Aaron at Kell's Irish Pub

This week, the Ghost Adventures crew investigates Kell's Irish Pub in Seattle.

In the early 1900s' Seattle, death was a good business; mining accidents, disease, and murder made it very profitable.  E.R. Butterworth opened Seattle's first morgue in the midst of an outbreak of a deadly disease.  At the time, there were so many deaths, the City of Seattle paid citizens for each body that was brought to the morgue.  Since the payment was about half a year's salary for many, it quickly became an incentive for murder.

Today, Kell's Irish Pub occupies what used to be the morgue.  The restless souls that passed through the walls continue to have an effect on the building today.  Figures walk the halls, glasses move on their own, and voices echo throughout the building.

Every year, there seems to be a build-up of paranormal activity as we move closer to the anniversary of Seattle's Spanish influenza outbreak of 1918.  Due to the number of deaths, it was mandatory for everyone to wear surgical masks in public. Thousands of bodies passed through the mortuary as a result of disease, accidents, and foul play, but E.R. Butterworth didn't care if the bodies were there as a result of natural causes or murder. 

Zak, Nick, and Aaron believe the souls of those who died for unjust reasons remain trapped in Kell's Irish Pub.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures - Villisca Axe Murder House

In Villisca, Iowa there is small house with a very dark past. Eight people, including six children, were hacked to death with an ax in one of this town's modest homes. It has been over 100 years since this horrific event, but the murder was never solved, meaning the victims families were never brought justice for the terrible crime.

The Ghost Adventures crew know there are plenty of secrets left to be discovered inside the home, and it is their intention to find new evidence from the case. There are numerous stories from local paranormal investigators who claim that attacks are still being carried out by a dark entity inside the house. One investigator recalls feeling like he had been "hit by a baseball bat" in the head.

One of the most saddening stories came from two sisters who grew up in the Villisca Ax Murder House. When they moved into the home they did not know about it's dark past, but they quickly learned that strange things happen to those who enter. Today, the sisters could not stand to be inside the house long enough to complete an interview for the show without breaking down emotionally. It is going to be an interesting investigation.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures - Old Fort Eerie

On Friday, the Ghost Adventures crew is under siege at Fort Eerie.

August 5^th, 1814 was one of the bloodiest days in Canadian history. Over 4000 people died when British troops attacked American forces inside the Old Fort Eerie. The fear and rage from the battle still haunt the grounds of this historic battlefield.

The paranormal evidence from Fort Eerie is some of the best the guys have ever collected. While using the groundskeeper as a trigger object, a mysterious figure appears in the shadow cast by the night vision infrared. Though the groundskeeper had no way of seeing the figure in the pitch dark, he felt the presence at the exact moment it appeared.

Although the fort is quiet and peaceful today, it was once a pit of death and destruction. Today, it stands as a testament to the men who fought and died there, and their experiences have left a permanent mark.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures - Amargosa Opera House

The Ghost Adventurers

The Amargosa Opera House is located in the middle of a very tiny town in Death Valley, California -- one of the most barren locations in the United States.  The huge structure sets on a defunct, 280-acre, borax mining complex and has played host to countless accidents, suicides, and deaths.

Guests struggle to stay the whole night at the hotel thanks to what is not just a paranormal presence, but a paranormal infestation.  The employees strongly believe there are a number of guests who "never checked out."  One of the main reasons the Ghost Adventures crew made the decision to come to the opera house is the un-renovated section called "Spooky Hollow."

Within this area are said to be several individual spirits with distinct personalities.  One of these spirits is known as "Boss Man" and, true to his name, he likes to pick on men -- specifically, big, macho men. 

The Amargosa Opera House should be the exact type of location Zak, Nick, and Aaron like to investigate.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Lights: Wales, 1905

In January of 1905, a Welsh family reported seeing three Ghost Lights "hovering above a certain farmhouse." The eyewitness described them as "three lamps about three yards apart," and said that the Ghost Lights jumped, "brilliant and dazzling," in the sunlight of the hot day.

The reporter's entire family witnessed the event, which lasted approximately 10 minutes, and remains unexplained.

A 1904 report of Ghost Lights in Wales may be related.  It, too, remains unexplained.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures - Fort Chaffee

The Ghost Adventures guys head to their biggest location yet: Fort Chaffee in Fort Smith, Arkansas -- 30,000 acres of haunted military complex. Fort Chaffee has been home to German POWs as well as Cuban refugees, and has seen hundreds of deaths during its 40-year history. Soldiers trained for combat within the fort's boundaries, but no one could have prepared for the influx of Cuban refugees Fort Chaffee saw in the 1980s.

When Cuba opened its doors for their unwanted citizens to leave, thousands of mental patients and criminals became permanent residents of Fort Chaffee. There were constant fights and stabbings on the grounds of what became a prison for refugees. This turmoil eventually escalated into a full-scale riot.

Fort Chaffee has also been home to a few famous, and infamous, individuals: Both John Lennon's murderer and Elvis Presley once called the complex home. With over 30,000 acres and a plenty of history, the Ghost Adventures crew definitely has their work cut-out for them.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures: La Palazza - Las Vegas

The latest Ghost Adventures episode finds the guys investigating in their home town of Las Vegas, where fortunes are won and lost. Known as a place to have fun, Las Vegas also has a dark side. In an historical neighborhood which has been home to the mafia, there are countless stories about dark events.

There is an excessively aggressive entity within La Palazza, one of the stately mansions in the neighborhood. The spirit is said to physically attack visitors, and is even blamed for a fire at the estate. Former owners of house were constantly frightened by voices, growls, and attacks.

A former owner of the house tells Zak about one incredible incident that happened when, while entertaining some guests, a glass was knocked from his wine rack. The owner taunted the spirit until he was choked by an unseen force. Guests at the house recall seeing two deep imprints on his neck. The ghosts here don't like to be taunted, which makes it the exact type of location the GA guys get excited to investigate.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures - USS Hornet

The Ghost Adventures crew investigates the USS Hornet, often called a floating coffin. It was one of the most decorated aircraft carriers in World War II, during which it saw numerous battles. The USS Hornet and her crew were responsible for taking down over 1,000 aircraft and sinking 76 ships. But while WWII was bad enough, the even darker side of the Hornet is that it had the highest suicide rate of any ship in the Navy.

Although the ship is now resting peacefully in San Francisco, many people believe the spirits of the crew are still fighting the war. The sick bay is home to countless claims of paranormal happenings. One visitor plays an EVP of someone screaming, "GET OUT!"

Between the pain of war, the cramped quarters, and the length of time these men spent at sea, there is plenty reason for their spirits and energy to linger on the ship. One of the best examples of evidence the boys catch is the voice of a man yelling, "RUN," as though the ship were under attack.

Zak discusses the USS Hornet here. Check out Ghost Adventures tonight on the Travel Channel (check local listings).

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures - The Vulture Mine

The Ghost Adventures crew goes to the Vulture Mine in Arizona, which sets in complete isolation, 70 miles from Phoenix. The mine was discovered in 1863, and by the 1880s, there were more than 5,000 residents drawn to the town by opportunity and greed. The gold discovered there was responsible for much of Arizona's development.

Corruption was rampant -- if you showed any threat to the mine or the gold stores, you would be hung without trial. Many people were buried where they died without ever having a marked grave. The U.S. government sent in troops to protect the town, but even the soldiers were greedy and corrupt.

Unfortunately, it seems the spirits at Vulture Mine wanted Zak, Nick, and Aaron gone before they could arrive. A huge storm hit Arizona before the lockdown could begin, forcing the guys to head back to town and wait-out the storm. However, the setback did nothing but fuel the GA crew's desire to find out what lurks in the old mining town!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures @ Hillview Manor

Hillview Manor in New Castle, Pennsylvania was built to house the poor who could not care for themselves. It was later turned into a retirement home and became the place where thousands carried out the final days of their lives. The building has a longstanding problem with suicides and behind the building there are countless numbers of un-marked graves containing the bones of those who perished in the manor.

The Ghost Adventures investigation results in a number of spine-chilling EVPs containing intelligent responses to their questions. One spirit tells Zak, "I'm Jim." Later on, Jim speaks again when Nick asks what color pants he is wearing by responding, "blue."

The Hillview Manor investigation proves to be one of the most emotional episodes yet. The spirits inside the building call out for help, and ask for their voices to be heard. Luckily Zak, Nick, and Aaron were able to give these spirits a chance to speak, if only for a moment.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures @ The Stanley Hotel

This investigation brings Zak, Nick, and Aaron to Estes Park, Colorado to investigate one of the most famously haunted hotels in the United States. The hotel has inspired dozens of notable guests to visit the small town at the foot of Rocky Mountain National Park. Stephen King was inspired to write his famous novel, The Shining, after experiencing some paranormal events during a stay at the hotel.

The Stanley Hotel is built upon a giant bed of quartz and limestone, which are said to be good conductors of paranormal energy. There is also a lake you must drive over on the way into town. Paranormal believers think these things help to trap the spiritual energy in Estes Park. The guys chose to stay at some of the most famously haunted rooms in the building.

Zak has personally dedicated this episode to paranormal skeptics, in honor of scientist and skeptic Bill Chapel, who joined the team toward the latter part of the investigation. Bill used a specially designed thermal and electromagnetic device to track where the changes in these levels around the room. Between Zak's investigating and the results documented simultaneously by Bill, you will be very impressed by the evidence they capture!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures - Waverly Plantation

During the tuberculosis epidemic, millions were afflicted with the disease, making it necessary to setup care centers for those infected. In Louisville, Kentucky there is a sanatorium that was the final resting place for thousands of tuberculosis victims. Waverly Hills sanatorium was built to care for victims from all over the United States. Sadly, most did not make it through the sickness.

The most heartbreaking part of the building is the former children's ward, where so many sick children spent their entire lives fighting the disease. Numerous visitors tell stories about the sad and playful spirits of children who still walk the halls of the sanatorium.

There are even stories of dopplegangers walking the halls of the building. One investigator describes an experience he had while leading a class through Waverly Plantation. The man had left to check out a lower floor. Once he returned to the group, they said they had moments before seen him walk into a different room. The legend says if you meet your doppleganger, you are supposed to die.

The Ghost Adventures Team goes back to Waverly tonight.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures: Return to Bobby Mackey's

There is one place that you might hear Zak Bagans say he is afraid to investigate. Demonic possessions and physical attacks are run-of-the mill at Bobby Mackey's Music World. The building, which now hosts a country music bar, has been home to a slaughterhouse and is the site of a well-publicized satanic murder. In 2008, Zak, Nick, and Aaron spent a night investigating the building, not knowing it would change their lives forever.

Bobby Mackey's is the only location the guys have visited where they feel spirits have followed them home. After the first investigation, Nick was startled awake by banging pots and pans. Thinking his house was broken into, he ran downstairs to find his kitchen faucet turned on and nobody around. Aaron even admits that investigating Bobby Mackey's played a factor in ruining his marriage.

You won't believe the evidence and occurrences that happen during this investigation. The spirits call the Ghost Adventures guys and their guests by name. They use their past and emotions to play games, and they even mimic friends to get to the guys. What lies ahead is one of the toughest investigations Ghost Adventures fans will ever witness.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ghost Adventures Returns

Ghost Adventures returns to the Travel Channel tomorrow night with two, brand new specials. Best Evidence So Far starts at 8:00p, CST, followed by a new Scariest Moments Special at 9pm. The new season starts next week, September 17^th, with the team in Gettysburg. We'll have some special highlights and goodies before then, as always.

Don't forget, The OddBlog is an official Ghost Adventures support blog -- we get all the good stuff before everybody else -- so be sure to bookmark us and check back each week for more on Zac and the team! And set your DVRs for Ghost Adventures, Friday nights on the Travel Channel.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010