Archive for the ‘Paranormal’ Category

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Welcome to Kala’s Quick Five, where I speak with authors about their work. With his usual well-researched documentation and lively writing style, Dr. Bob Curran writes about spooky places where ancient forces hold sway and he encounters ghosts, sinister specters, vampires, the living dead and doorways to other worlds. He chose a hair-raising collection of eerie investigations from his native Ireland, through the empty deserts of the Middle East, to the misty hills of Tibet and back through Europe to America–even venturing close to the Gates of Hell itself for his new book, The World’s Creepiest Places, which is the topic of our discussion today.

Kala: Bob, are there actually some places in the world where people shouldn’t really go? Where as they say, “fools rush in, where angels fear to tread?” Places where strange memories and ancient forces still linger, even in the modern everyday world?

Bob: After writing the book, I’m coming to the conclusion that perhaps there might be. I’m not just talking about haunted places – that wasn’t the purpose of the book. That would have been The World’s Most Haunted Places. I wanted to look at places where things had happened which maybe somehow defied rational thought and gave the individual the reaction which we call “creepy”. These are places which perhaps are dominated by the memory of one bizarre individual (such as Warleggan or Buckfastleigh) or where perhaps one form of reality ends and another begins, as in the Flannan Isles. So, particularly with the latter, people shouldn’t go to some of these places. My mind is still open on the subject but perhaps caution is still the best option.

Kala: Have you found that people receive physical warning when they approach or enter haunted places? Are we in fact hot‐wired to respond to such things? Perhaps this is what we mean when we talk about a place feeling “creepy” or of something “giving us the creeps”.

Bob: I think that the feeling that we call “creepy” is actually more of a reaction to a set of circumstances. This reaction is of course made up of a number of elements – perhaps the appearance or atmosphere of a site, such as a dilapidated old house or a lonely road for example, the history and tradition of the place and the associations that we have with that (has a murder been committed there maybe, or something terrible occurred) and there is perhaps also a sense of anticipation. We expect to be scared or maybe we are on edge in case something does happen to us. So in that respect, perhaps, a creepy feeling can serve as a warning although mainly I think it derives from a sense of anticipation within us.

Kala: In your book, you researched a castle built over a suspected entrance to Hell. What did you find when researching this area?

Bob: The place that you’re actually referring to is Houska Castle in the Czech Republic. It was believed that all over the world there were a number of entrances into Hell, whether they be formal Gateways of maybe just cracks in the earth, always assuming that Hell in somewhere below us, Houska Castle is supposedly built over one of these cracks. Strangely enough apart from being built over such a crack, there is no real reason for the castle to exist – it is not, for example, an important military fortification; it doesn’t guard any supply routes. It was simply built between the years 1253 and 1276 at a great deal of expense for no apparent purpose. It was, however, built over a large and extensive cave system which was said to be one of the Seven Entrances to the Infernal Regions.

It was built using convicted criminals and those who had been captured in foreign wars. However the king, Ottokar II of Bohemia who built the fortress, said that he would grant a pardon to any man who would go down into the cave system and find out where it led. The first man was lowered down on a rope but he had only been gone for a few moments when he screamed out to be hauled up again. Though he’d only been gone several minutes, he seemed to have aged thirty years. His hair had turned white and his face was covered in wrinkles. His mind was gone and he kept babbling about half-animal, half-human things that lived down there in the dark and huge winged things which flapped through the caverns. Was he on the very Borderlands of Hell? Nobody else volunteered to go down but over the years, there have been stories about an alternate world lying far below us.

Some of this seems to have seeped into the Castle itself as some of the guests there – the place became a kind of Renaissance Castle in later periods – complained over strange figures along the corridors and evil smells in some of the rooms. One in particular, a tall figure in black, robed like a monk, is frequently seen as is a small hunched shape, accompanied by a foul stench, which is seen in the corners of some of the rooms, disappearing as soon as it is approached. Although it’s supposed to be very grand and beautiful, it’s not a place where I would choose to spend a holiday I can tell you!

Kala: You also looked into the stories of a mysterious island that is reported to drift in and out of other realities. Were you able to locate the island?

Bob: This is the uninhabited island of Eilean Mor (the big island) in the Flannan Isles lying out to the West of Scotland. It is a bleak and windswept place but even today, locals on the neighboring islands, especially the island of Lewis, still refer to it as “the other country”, where one reality ends and another begins. And there is something – uncomfortable – about the place. You get the sensation that you are being watched all the time and when the wind roars in the gullies amongst the rocks you have the sensation of all sorts of voices speaking and calling to you.

The only man made structures on the island are the ruins of an ancient church, dating from the 8th century and dedicated to St. Flannan the patron of these islands, and a fairly modern lighthouse. In 1900, three keepers vanished from the lighthouse and no trace of them has ever been found.  They vanished around Christmas but their disappearance was not discovered until Boxing Day. Were they carried away by fearful weather which had raged through the islands? Were they taken by some awful sea-monster which rose up out of the deep or did a storm open a portal between one world and another and they accidentally crossed over? These are some of the theories which have surrounded the now-famous disappearance. Some will even tell you that the three men are still there, unseen on the other side of a dimensional wall and in another reality, still trying to find their way back into our own world which they left all those years ago. It is easy to dismiss such stories as fanciful nonsense and yet when you are standing on the lonely island, waiting for a boat to come and take you off again, it is easy to believe that the sound of the wind in the rocky gullies are the cries of missing lighthouse men, calling desperately for help. A very creepy place indeed!

Kala: Bob, you explored vampires, ghosts, the living dead and other supernatural stories and creatures. Which one scared you the most and convinced you that it was absolutely real and thriving?

Bob: This is a difficult question to answer. I’ve always come to the subject of the supernatural whether it be ghosts, creepy places or strange creatures with, I think, an open and enquiring mind. These things may exist or they may not. It’s up to me to look at the evidence and draw my own conclusions. I suppose that over the years, such an approach has almost made me a sceptic and things tend to scare me less.

For example, one of the locations which I mention in the book – Leap Castle in County Offaly, Ireland – is supposedly one of the most haunted castles in Western Europe. I have been there several times and it has never bothered me. Mary, my wife, on the other hand will not set a foot inside the door – the place totally “creeps her out”.  That’s what I mean by the idea of response to a place. By the same token I did feel uncomfortable on Eilean Mor, the island which I mentioned in my previous answer, but I suppose the place which chilled me the most was the Belsen Concentration Camp which I visited several years ago when I was giving a lecture in Germany. But that wasn’t for supernatural reasons but because of the atrocities which had been committed there. As for which of the creatures I believe might exist – I am always asked by people “Are such things real?” My answer is always the same – if they are real to you, then they are real.

Want to know more about the locations we discussed here and many more? Check out Dr. Bob Curran’s book – The World’s Creepiest Places. Dr. Bob Curran was born in a remote area of County Down, Northern Ireland, but left to travel and work in the United States, France, Italy, Mexico, North Africa, Spain, Holland, and parts of Eastern Europe. This has given him insight into the cultures and beliefs of people around the world. Living again in Northern Ireland, he holds several university degrees and acts as a consultant to such bodies as the Office of First, Deputy First Minister, and Tourism Ireland Ltd. He is author of many popular books on folklore such as Vampires; Werewolves; Man-Made Monsters; and Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms (all published by New Page Books). He can be found musing on drbobcurran.blogspot.com.

For even more Bob Curran, listen to my interviews with him about his other books on Explore Your Spirit Radio including Werewolves, Fairies, and Zombies.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

“The more enlightened our houses are, the more their walls ooze ghosts.” – Italo Calvino

Some visitors at a bed and breakfast are just dying to stay. And they do – forever. Flashing lights, mysterious footsteps, slamming doors and other spine-tingling occurrences are likely signs an inn has a long-term guest. But don’t be afraid; their “boo” is worse than their bite.

Raised hair, goose bumps and bloodcurdling screams are all on the menu at BnBFinder’s most spooktacular inns. Be prepared for a terrifyingly good time:

Burn Brae Mansion

At Burn Brae Mansion in Glen Spey, NY, innkeepers not only talk the scary talk but have it recorded, too. The home, built in 1908 by a former president of the Singer Sewing Machine company as a gift to his daughter, was visited by 14 ghost hunters in 2007 and they archived “off the charts” evidence of ghostly activity in the home including mysterious voices. Need proof? Some of their spooky findings can be seen and heard on the inn’s website. Ghost tours of the house and moonlit trails are available.

1859 Historic National

Travelers have been checking into the 1859 Historic National Hotel in Jamestown, CA, for more than 130 years but one of them has yet to check out. Flora, or “Flo” as she’s known around the hotel, arrived with her beloved, Henry, in the late 1800’s and the two planned to wed. As he walked down the stairs Henry fell victim to a drunkard’s bullet. Flo sobbed uncontrollably for days and was found dead sitting in a chair by the window dressed in her wedding whites. Guests have reported entering unexpectedly warm or cold rooms, feeling icy blasts brushing past and hearing nightly sobbing. Flo is a friendly ghost, say the innkeepers, so make sure to say hello.

1843 Battery Carriage House

Glowing lights, rattling shutters and a resident headless torso certainly qualifies The Battery Carriage House Inn , located in Charleston, SC, as the city’s most haunted inn. Formerly an artillery installation during the Civil War, the harbor front mansion also houses a “gentleman ghost” believed to be a young man whose family previously owned the house. These ghostly apparitions and shadowy figures, which may seem a bit intimidating to the uninitiated, only mean to haunt, not harm, say the innkeepers.

Prospect Hill Bed and Breakfast Inn

The ghosts housed at the Prospect Hill Bed & Breakfast Inn in Mountain City, TN, have an appetite for scaring guests. A visitor to the former family residence reported being woken up early in the morning to the distinct smell of peanut butter cookies and muffins being baked. Spilled bourbon and rose perfume also have wafted mysteriously into rooms. Eerie footsteps walking up and down the main staircase, doors opening on their own and ghosts appearing in windows and rooms have been reported by unsuspecting guests.

For a full listing of haunted inns visit BnBFinder.com/HauntedInns

About Kala Ambrose… Kala Ambrose is the author of Ghosthunting North Carolina, which shares historical information in a fun and friendly way so that families can enjoy learning about the history of North Carolina while traveling and exploring the sites around the state in a unique way. Visit her website at www.ghosthuntingnorthcarolina.com to see the video book trailer.

Ghosthunting North Carolina by Kala Ambrose is available at fine book stores everywhere and on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com  The book is also available on Amazon KINDLE and Barnes and Noble NOOK versions.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Ghosthunting North Carolina with Kala

Ghosthunting North Carolina is now available in Stores, Online and through Kindle and Nook Ghosthunting North Carolina By Kala Ambrose I’ll be traveling all around the state of North Carolina for book signings, so if you’re here in NC, come see me and pick up a copy of the book at your favorite local bookstore. My travel schedule is posted on ExploreYourSpirit.com  Ghosthunting North Carolina is part of a Haunted Travel Series called America’s Haunted Road Trip Ghosthunting North Carolina provides maps and travel information so you can research the haunted sites for yourself. Jump in the car with some friends and hit the road and explore with Kala as your guide.  It’s a lonely process writing a book, months, really years go by and for many writers like myself, we struggle and strain to express what we want to say in so many words. Many times we return to look over the completed project and fight an overwhelming desire to toss the entire manuscript away. Fortunately for most of us, we have a wonderful family member or friend who talks us back down and gently eases the manuscript from our clenched hands and soothingly reminds us that they think the book is wonderful.Once this process is complete and the book has been shipped off to the publisher, the editing process begins, the cover art is selected and the countdown begins for the launch of the book. The first day of a book release is quite different than movie or music releases. Books go deep, the person has to open the cover and enter privately into a journey page by page. Typically there are no stars turning out for the event dressed in their red carpet best and only rarely do screaming hordes of fans line up for days in advance to buy the book like they once did for CD’s.I wanted to write Ghosthunting North Carolina for several reasons. The first being that I love history and have always thought that more people would be interested in history if they were able to hear the stories in a more interesting way. History is provocative, rife with struggles, pain and the overwhelming desire of people to survive and make their way in life against all types of obstacles. When the stories are told with the people in mind, the reader can not help but to be interested and the stories themselves are timeless, as each generation faces similar struggles. Only the names, uniforms and dates change, as the human condition marches on. As someone who has seen and communicated with the spirit world since childhood, I also relished the idea of investigating these haunted sites for myself in order to see if I would experience the paranormal anomalies and ghostly apparitions that others have reported at each location. I wanted to tell these dead men and women’s tales and allow their voices to be heard.  North Carolina is a fascinating and very haunted state. The Coast of East Carolina has more shipwrecks than anywhere else in the U.S. due to the shifting sandbars and rocky coastline which has claimed hundreds of ships through the years. From the pirate ghosts of Blackbeard and his crew wandering the beaches, to the missing colony of Roanoke and other colonists who dreamed of a better life here in the New World, the coast is haunted with their presence and their stories. You don’t have to be from North Carolina to appreciate these stories, as the ghosts share their history of our America, from the battleships, battlefields and forts to the shifting sands of time and place where they lay their heads each night. I also loved the concept of this series of books, which is called America’s Haunted Road Trip. The publisher is in the process of creating a Ghosthunting book for each of the 50 states and when I took on this project, I saw it as the opportunity to be a Haunted History Ambassador for the state of North Carolina.  I was able to share my personal experiences about the history of this state, including spending the night in the most haunted State Capitol in the U.S. and spending many nights in one of the most haunted hotels in the state.  In many of the locations I write about, I encountered and at times communicated with the spirits who still haunt this location. Their stories are waiting to be told and I invite you to take this journey with me and with them through Ghosthunting North Carolina. I also share the experience of having a ghost who decided to take this journey with me and stayed with me while I wrote this book. He would pop into my office from time to time as if he became the unofficial editor of the book, checking in on me and my progress. While I expected to encounter a variety of ghosts while researching this book, this was one surprise that even caught me off guard. Fall is here, the evenings are growing cooler, the sunlight is mellowing a little more each day into a golden glow and soon October and Halloween will be upon us.  Curl up next to some candlelight and take this journey with me as we ghosthunt our way through North Carolina. We’ll start on the rocky coast of the Atlantic Ocean, venture into the haunted plantations of the Piedmont and complete our journey in the misty Blue Ridge mountains. You’ll never look at North Carolina in the same way again and it may leave you with the desire to jump in the car and come investigate these areas for yourself.

Go Ghosthunting with Kala So come explore with me, here’s how….. 1. Ghosthunting North Carolina is available at bookstores including Indie stores in North Carolina and in Barnes and Noble and Costco.2. The book is available online through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com3. Ghosthunting North Carolina is also available through Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. 4. Get a signed first edition copy of the book and chat with me about the haunted history of North Carolina as I travel across the state through September and October at bookstores, museums, Costco’s and other locations. 5. Watch the video book trailer of GhostHunting North Carolina and share it with friends. 6. Go to www.GhostHuntingNorthCarolina.com and share your most haunting experience with me on my post there asking about your favorite ghost stories. I’ll also be updating information and events regarding the book here along the way. 7. Join me on Facebook and Twitter and chat with me about the book and if you have the time and inclination, I would greatly appreciate a review of the book on Amazon.com 8. For more behind the scenes tips on paranormal investigations, take my video course on the Learning Annex called Sensing the Spirit World: Adventures in Ghosthunting with Kala Ambrose. Until the next time we meet, Happy Haunting! *~Kala~*

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

As we begin the countdown to Halloween, seven weeks and counting, the haunting activities are beginning to appear across North Carolina.  Here are some of the ones I spotted today:

The Carolina Inn, located in Chapel Hill, NC is offering a special “Room with a BOO!”.  They’re inviting you to come visit with their longtime resident ghost, Dr. William Jacocks. A friendly spirit, he enjoys playing practical jokes on those who stay in what was once Dr. Jacock’s permanent home. One of America’s Top 10 Haunted Hotels is waiting for you. The special package includes:

• Booked in Dr. Jacocks’ Room
• Dinner for Two, Set for Three
• Biography of Dr. Jacocks
• Rates Starting at $409

In my new book, Ghosthunting North Carolina, I share what happened when I visited the haunted Carolina Inn and literally ran right into a ghost on the property.  The Ghosthunting North Carolina book is available for purchase in stores and online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com Take it along with you as a travel guide when you visit the haunted Carolina Inn.

Over on the very haunted coastline of North Carolina in Wilmington, we have our very own Ghost Ship, NC’s only haunted battleship, the USS North Carolina. The hatches will crack open with all new unique designs and scares. It doesn’t matter where you are on the ship, the ghosts will find you! October 14th and 21st from 7pm-10pm. Tickets are $10 and go on sale at 6:30 pm. You must be in the ticket line by 9:30 pm to ensure your ticket. While researching the haunted battleship I ran into several ghosts on the ship, some going about their business and others looking for trouble.  In my book, Ghosthunting North Carolina I cover East Carolina and the haunted ships, forts, lighthouses and other places where ghosts and ghost pirates like Blackbeard and his men still roam.  The book includes travel information to all of these locations so you can plan things out and make a weekend out of visiting haunted place after haunted place along Coastal Carolina, or in the Piedmont or Mountains of NC.  Enjoy!

More about Ghosthunting North Carolina… Explore haunted lighthouses, forts, and shipwrecked areas of East Carolina where Blackbeard and his pirates still roam as you join author and paranormal researcher Kala Ambrose in Ghost Hunting North Carolina. Journey across the state and visit the most actively haunted capitol in the US, and continue west into the Blue Ridge Mountains where the pink lady and her friends await your presence. Maps and travel information are provided to every haunted location for those brave enough to make the journey in person and for paranormal researchers who are interested in exploring haunted North Carolina.

Ghosthunting North Carolina takes you behind the scenes with detailed information about each destination. Available now on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Ghosthunting North Carolina, my new book is now available in store and online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com 

Here’s some info about the book: Explore haunted lighthouses, forts, and shipwrecked areas of East Carolina where Blackbeard and his pirates still roam as you join author and paranormal researcher Kala Ambrose in Ghost Hunting North Carolina. Journey across the state and visit the most actively haunted capitol in the US, and continue west into the Blue Ridge Mountains where the pink lady and her friends await your presence. Maps and travel information are provided to every haunted location for those brave enough to make the journey in person and for paranormal researchers who are interested in exploring haunted North Carolina.

Have you seen the book trailer about Ghosthunting North Carolina? You can check it out here on YOUTUBE

Southern Writers Magazine recently interviewed me about my book Ghosthunting North Carolina and my work as an author in their Sept issue – love the title they chose, which is:  “Books that Go Bump in the Night!”  Check it out http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/

Advanced Praise for the book has been great including:

“The charming and delightful Kala Ambrose has invited me on her radio program Explore Your Spirit with Kala many times, and I have always thoroughly enjoyed myself.  In the pages of her fascinating new book Ghosthunting North Carolina, she has invited all of us to join her on a haunted road trip through North Carolina, and once again, I found myself completely enjoying the journey.  Kala received the “gift” of paranormal talents, including the ability to see and sense spirits, when she was only a child.  She generously shares this gift with her readers as she explores a remarkable number of haunted houses and places in North Carolina.  I very much appreciated Kala’s sharing the history of some of these very famous locations, as well as her psychic impressions of certain ethereal residents who have never left their beloved homes. Kala allows us to perceive her insights into a wide range of ghostly entities from the frightening to the benign, from the violent to the gentle.  I highly recommend this book.” — Brad Steiger, author of over 170 books, including Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places.

“Not everyone can write a ghost story. Luckily for us, Kala Ambrose can. In Ghosthunting North Carolina, Kala takes us on a fabulous armchair road-trip featuring pirates, flaming ghost ships, haunted hotels, and spirits of every persuasion, including the friendly, the eerie, and the downright scary. Kala also provides clear, concise, user-friendly instructions on how to transform a virtual trip into an actual one. I, for one, was ready to start driving to and through North Carolina as soon as I finished Ghosthunting North Carolina. I suspect you will be, too.” –Judika Illes, author of The Encyclopedia of Spirits, The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, and The Weiser Field Guide to Witches.

“A road trip with a difference! Kala Ambrose explores the spectacular beauty of the Tar Heel State while using her psychic skills to seek beneath the surface for the phantom soldiers, pink ladies and lost spirits who still inhabit the houses or wander the roads of this beautiful landscape. A skilful mix of lore and legend, which will linger on in the reader’s mind long after the book has been closed. “ — Dr. Bob Curran, author of Dark Fairies, Vampires: A Field Guide to the Creatures that Stalk the Night, Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms and over 24 additional books on paranormal lore.

“If you’re into all-things-spooky, spectral and spine-tingling, then Kala Ambrose’s Ghosthunting North Carolina is the book for you! Best devoured on the proverbial dark and stormy night!” –Nick Redfern, author of The Real Men in Black.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Zombies Will Walk for Food

You’ve heard of the zombie movie Shaun of the Dead, but what about an official Zombie Crawl? In San Jose, California, on August 31st, 2011, Zombies are wandering the streets in the yearly festival – Zombie-O-Rama. The event features live music by Brass Hysteria, a Zombie Fashion Show, costume contests and parades and the screening of a new Zombie movie - Fido.

Of course the main event is the Zombie Crawling itself, in which groups of Zombies are spread out across the area in fifteen minute intervals unleashed on the unsuspecting public as they crawl and writhe across the Gore Park and the downtown area in their full Zombie attire.

Zombie walks and festivals of this nature are becoming more popular and many of them are held in cities around the U.S. in connection with a fundraising event for local food bank charities. In 2006, almost one thousand zombies gathered in Pittsburgh, PA, setting a world record for the Guinness Book of Records while collecting a tremendous amount of canned food for the Community Food Bank. This festival in Pittsburgh has grown throughout the years and is now called Zombie Fest. Seattle, Denver, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia and other major cities have since broken this attendance record with zombie events of their own featuring over seven thousand zombies in appearance. The Zombie Fests continue to evolve each year adding new features and entertainment in each city with pub crawls, movie screenings, fashion shows and continued involvement with raising money and awareness for the food banks in each city.

For more information on Zombie Festivals, and to join in the fun while supporting a good cause in your community, check out these links:

World Zombie Day
Saturday, October 8th
Pittsburgh Zombie Fest
Pittsburgh, PA

Zombie Pub Crawl
Sat, October 8, 2011
Minneapolis, MN

Eye Heart Brains Zombie Walk
Sat, October 22, 2011
Denver, CO

Red White & Dead Zombie Walk
Seattle, WA

Philly Zombie Crawl
Philadelphia, PA

Chicago Zombie
Chicago, IL

Zombie Walk
Houston, TX

The NOLA Zombie Walk
New Orleans, LA

——————————————

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe. Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical and paranormal topics.  Her new book – Ghost Hunting North Carolina hits the stores on September 13, 2011.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

This Summer I visited the Northeast on my Gypsy Wagon Road Trip. Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared my adventures at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY and my journey in NYC and filming at the Learning Annex. Here’s the last leg of this adventure…

After leaving Manhattan, I headed through Western New York over to the Village of LilyDale, which is near Niagara Falls. My good friend Elizabeth Harper and I were scheduled to teach about Auras, Chakras and Energy Bodies here at LilyDale and we were excited to be part of LilyDale’s Summer Teaching Program.

Established in 1879, Lily Dale has been the world’s largest center for the practice of the Spiritualist religion. For 132 years, Lily Dale has offered a summer program of lectures, workshops and other activities featuring best-selling authors, leaders in academic and scientific research into psychic phenomena, as well as the world’s most powerful mediums, teachers and healers.

Located in upstate New York, this serene 19th century lakeside community is very charming, surrounded by a towering, old-growth forest and filled with cottages throughout the village.

I enjoyed teaching at LilyDale and we had a wonderful group of people there at the event. As Elizabeth and I were setting up for our workshop, we both commented on how we could feel the spirits in the area present and how they were “waiting”, ready to speak to any medium who wished to communicate with them. I acknowledged their presence but explained that I was here to speak to the workshop participants about their personal auras and not to engage in mediumship at this event.

About 30 minutes into the workshop, I noticed a man in spirit form appear in front of me while I was speaking to the group. As Elizabeth began to speak and share the next segment of information about our workshop, the man continued to stand in front of me, giving me a stern look with his arms folded in front of him. I realized that he wasn’t going to go away until I acknowledged him, so I looked up at him and met his gaze. Once he had my attention, he said, “State your business here” and I understood that he was a guardian of some capacity here at LilyDale. His clothes and hairstyle reflected a time around the 1930′s I would say and the feeling that I had is that he has been here a long time and is involved in the communications between the spirits and the mediums in many events at LilyDale.

After communicating with him at that moment, he disappeared and I went back to teaching the workshop. Once the event was over, we were packing up the Gypsy Wagon to head over to Pittsburgh to teach there the next day.

As I sat in the driver’s seat of the car, preparing to leave LilyDale that evening, a light rain began to fall. Looking up, I noticed a man standing outside my car window. Thinking it was the wonderful gentleman who had helped with all of the arrangements that evening, I lowered my window to thank him again for all that he had done. As I lowered my window, I saw it was not this man, but rather the man in spirit again, who wanted me to know that he was still here and watching over everything in the Village. He was still as stern as ever and took his job very seriously.

I have no doubt that should I return to LilyDale for another event, that he will be there to speak with me again.

During my road trip, I made my first visit to Pittsburgh, PA where I taught about the Seven Healing Techniques used in the Ancient Mystery Schools. I met the most beautiful souls in Pittsburgh, and we had a wonderful time together as we explored the ancient wisdom teachings and worked with a variety of energy healing tools and techniques including spending time in my copper pyramid.

I stayed in downtown Pittsburgh on the river and we were there on July 4th. This gave us a fantastic view of the fireworks display over the river. I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful architecture in Pittsburgh, so much detail was put into every building. It made me ache to see this again in our construction, why don’t we make beautiful architectural buildings like these today?

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Exposing Ghosts, Spirits and Hauntings

“Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generations, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.”- Arthur Conan Doyle

Interest in ghosts and paranormal investigations continue to be on the rise in a resurgence of the topic similar to the late 1800′s and early 1900′s where luminaries including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had great interest in spiritualism and the spirit world in general. The main difference now is the technology available to capture EVP recordings of haunting sounds and spirit communication as well as the advances in video and photography. This has led to mixed results on what constitutes proof of ghosts, spirits and apparitions. The biggest debate ongoing may be with the orbs captured on photos. Digital photography has provided a plethora of orb photos, and the answers are not clear as to which orb photos are reflections of light from other sources or which may be a spirit caught on film.

In Exposed, Uncovered, and Declassified: Ghosts, Spirits and Hauntings (New Page Books 2011) co-editors Michael Pye and Kirsten Dalley gather some of the world’s experts on the paranormal and ask them each to share what they have uncovered during their years of investigating haunted sites and psi phenomena.

Each author contributed a chapter based on their expertise including Michelle Belanger’s coverage of Canadian investigators who tried to create a spirit; Loyd Auerbach’s information on the field of parapsychology; Nick Redfern’s research on animal ghost apparitions; Joshua Warren’s photographic evidence of ghosts; Andrew Nichol’s study of ESP and haunted houses; Raymond Buckland’s tips on how to talk to ghosts; Dr. Bob Curran’s research on the connections between poltergeists and humans; and Marie Jones’s exploration of alternative theories on ghostly apparitions.

In my work as a paranormal researcher and as the host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with many of the authors from this book. You may enjoy listening to my interviews with them to find out more about  their work. The shows can be listened to online anytime from the Explore Your Spirit archives and downloaded on to your mp3 player. They include:

Dr. Robert Curran

Exploring the Dark Side of Fairies

Werewolves

Zombies

Lost Lands and Forgotten Realms

Nick Redfern

NASA Conspiracies

Contactees

Loyd Auerbach

Ghosthunting

Marie Jones

DejaVu

——————————-

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe. Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical and paranormal topics.  Her new book – Ghost Hunting North Carolina hits the stores September 13, 2011. Kala lectures and teaches on Metaphysical and Paranormal Phenomena including the Ancient Wisdom Teachings and Healing Temples of Egypt, Working with Auras and Energy Fields, Haunted History, and Wise Woman Wisdom.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Sizzling Summer Edition- Universal Magic Bursts Forth this Summer!

Sign on the door to Kala’s Office

Kala working on her new book in her room at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan My view from the window as I was writing at my desk in the Waldorf. The bright peak in the middle here is the Chrysler building. I was in NYC to being filmed for the Learning Annex for two courses, one about seeing ghosts and the other seeing about auras. Somewhere along the middle of seeing the city in my cab ride on the way back from filming at the Learning Annex, the beauty of the city and the energy of it all was life-enhancing! At the studio filming courses on ghosts and auras As I tuned into the energy of the city, I felt the heart of NYC speak and it said – “Opportunity, Opportunity, Everywhere is Opportunity!” Church for Actors and Artists near Broadway, love it! I heartily agree, anything and everything is available here in NYC and I soaked it in everywhere I went. Next week I’ll share the magic of what happened when I visited the Village of LilyDale Assembly This Summer I visited the Northeast on my Gypsy Wagon Road Trip tour. Last week I shared my adventures at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. If you missed, you can read about it here. After teaching at Omega, I headed over to New York City, driving into Manhattan and staying at a place that I’ve had on my bucket list for a while now, which is the historic Waldorf Astoria hotel. Kala at Lobby Clock at Waldorf Astoria The Waldorf was just as I imagined and I took in every gorgeous detail, including the Lobby Clock. This nine foot clock was built for the World’s Fair in 1893. As I waited to check into the hotel, I was greeted by the chimes of the clock, which ring every fifteen minutes with the beautiful tone of Westminster Chimes.  If you look closely you’ll see carvings in the clock of Washington, Grant, Jackson and even Queen Victoria.  The clock is one of the main focal points at the Waldorf and a wonderful reference when looking to meet up with friends at the hotel, as everyone knows how to find it. After filming at the Learning Annex, we celebrated at the Waldorf’s famous Peacock Bar, which has exquisitive art deco decor. Everywhere I went at the Waldorf triggered past life memories for me of having spent a good amount of time at this hotel previously. I knew my way around the hotel and felt completely comfortable like I had returned back home. Kala celebrating at the Peacock bar

I’m so excited about my new book coming out on September 13th - Ghosthunting North Carolina Pre-Order Your Copy of Ghosthunting North Carolina by Kala Ambrose on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com Each week I’ll share with you an excerpt of what I discovered and uncovered while researching the haunted sites of North Carolina. Journey with me as we explore haunted lighthouses, forts, and shipwrecked areas of East Carolina where Blackbeard and his pirates still roam and then move across the state and visit the most actively haunted capitol in the US, and continue west into the Blue Ridge Mountains where the pink lady and her friends await your presence. Explore the Haunted History of North Carolina with Kala. First up, The Legend of The Lost Colony of Roanoke! In 1584, explorers were sent to Roanoke Island (a narrow island situated between the Outer Banks and the mainland of North Carolina) by Sir Walter Raleigh to determine if the area would be well suited to establishing a colony. Upon their return, they delivered a positive report of the location, which included a list of the abundant natural resources surrounding the area and findings that Roanoke was better protected from the elements than the Outer Banks. The island appeared all around to be a good choice for a settlement with live oaks and plenty of other trees to build cabins and a variety of wildlife to hunt for food. Sir Walter Raleigh delivered the information to Queen Elizabeth and she granted Raleigh a charter to all the lands that he could claim in the area. The next year Sir Raleigh sent out a group of one hundred men, mostly soldiers and craftsmen to establish the colony under the guidance of Ralph Lane, a military captain. The group met with poor results from the beginning and departed the area. Sir Raleigh responded to the news of Lane’s departure by gathering a party of one hundred and seventeen men, women and children who were willing to sail from England in order to establish a permanent settlement in the New World.   As the group sailed to the New World, their leader John White included in his party his pregnant daughter Eleanor Dare.  Upon their arrival, the situation was hostile on all fronts and the colonists asked John White to return to England to gather support and supplies. Three years after Eleanor gave birth to her daughter Virginia Dare, her father John White returned to Roanoke Island to find everyone and everything missing. All traces of the settlement had disappeared. There was no sign of struggle nor were there any signs of where the group had gone.  His heart raced with terror, were his daughter and his granddaughter alive? Had someone taken them?  There had been no way to get a direct message to them for the past three years. The colonists had no news source and relied on ships that very infrequently stopped in the area. It’s highly likely that the colonists might not have known about the war that had kept White from traveling back to them. They may have presumed White to be dead or lost at sea. What happened to the lost colonists at Roanoke? Do their ghosts remain behind to tell their tale? Journey with Kala in her new book – Ghosthunting North Carolina to find out what she uncovered during her research and what she felt psychically as she visited each location.

Be Sociable, Share!

•