The Haunted West

As hobbies go, paranormal investigating probably doesn't quite fit into the same category as, say, knitting. But as with any hobby, sooner or later, a person wants to share their interest with others, maybe encourage others to join in the fun, start a knitting circle, or something. While I don't tend to broadcast the fact that I spend my free time ghost hunting, sooner or later, my penchant for haunted places leaks out to friends, family and acquaintances. On the surface, I get raised eyebrows from most, but given the opportunity (and nobody within hearing distance), these same scoffers will seek me out to learn more. See, I believe everyone harbors a guilty curiosity in the unknown, how else to explain the popularity of all those paranormal show out there? So, with this in mind, here's something for all you closet investigators: Women Investigating Ghost Sighting (W.I.G.S) has teamed up with VC Paranormal to offer "An Introduction To Paranormal In...

Today I received an update on the memorial dedication of the Nevada State Hospital Cemetery. Anonymous wrote: "A new monument with 767 names (and acknowledging that there are likely up to 400 more unknown) has been installed in the hospital cemetery. It will be dedicated this Friday, January 21, 2011 between 2-4 pm. This event is open to the public. After the outdoor dedication there will be refreshments and historical displays inside the new Agriculture Building adjacent to the cemetery". This cemetery is a vital piece of Nevada's past; from 1882-1947, approximately 1000 patients from the nearby State Mental Health Institute lie buried on an adjacent piece of property with little or no ceremony to acknowledge their existence or final resting place. The memorial is a result of a tremendous effort by the Friends of Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services Cemetery. I'm hoping the weather holds and the day of the dedication is clear. If not, I'll bundle up...

'Twas 4 days before Christmas and all through the house, nothing was stirring, not even a mouse... and me up baking cookies, and the dog looking for handouts, and Mariah watching something strange on Adult Swim, and oh yeah, the stupid cat (she's in heat and making a racket)... Okay then. Let's start this over. It's 12 midnight at the beginning of the Winter Solstice, and I'm up late alternately baking cookies, sipping on hot chocolate and wandering out onto the deck to enjoy the lunar eclipse. The storm blew through, leaving us with a clear and gorgeous night to view this celestial phenomenon. Reminds me that it's the little things in life...cookies, cocoa, a clear winter night, warm furry friends, and all the other little blessings that make me appreciate my wonderful life here on planet Earth. Here's wishing everyone a very happy and safe holiday season.

  This past August, W.I.G.S took a road trip to the annual Goldfield Days celebration. Initially we were planning on pulling Ol’ Kaw Liga (that would be Paula’s pop-up trailer, named after a Hank Williams song), but ended up cruising south in style aboard Mona’s 40-foot motor home. We went without any itinerary, just wanted to visit the town that is home to one of the most famous haunted places in America: The Goldfield Hotel. We knew that there would be other ghost hunters in town, we figured on meeting up with members of R.E.A.L and NNGH from Reno; and during the weekend we also ran into several ghost hunting enthusiasts from Las Vegas. We toured the area with a local historian, met some very interesting townsfolk, watched a parade, ate some great barbeque, joined in a ghost hunt of the Goldfield High School, and hung out at the Santa Fe, the oldest operating saloon in Nevada, where we were treated to karaoke by the local talent (well…local anyway). Goldfield is such an incredi...

One of the most common paranormal phenomena experienced by investigators is unexplained smells. Among the most common scents reported are cigar/cigarette smoke and floral scents; rose, lavender, and jasmine in particular. While sudden odors may be startling at first notice, most can be explained away through analysis of the surrounding environment. Certain odors can linger for a long time: smoke, fuel, urine, oils and certain plant extracts; how long is dependant on the absorption characteristics of the material they are embedded in. Highly absorbent material like wood can radiate residual odors for many years. Some investigators believe that certain aromas exist because of paranormal activity. These individuals believe spirit entities can either manifest these smells from memory or that the energy of the spirit generates the residual scent. Because not everyone in an area may perceive this type of paranormal phenomenon, it is theorized that the odors are not physically present i...

After last year's disappointing attempts to harness my psychic tools, I wasn't expecting too much out of the Spirit to Spirit Communication class in this year's TMCC's paranormal series. In fact, I considered staying home, chilling on the couch and watching a little TV. At the last minute, I lost the - should I stay or should I go - argument with myself, got up off the couch and snuck into class 10 minutes late. I'm glad I went. Pride Hansen's approach to spirit communication is straight forward, easy to understand, and (most important) makes sense. I have a hard time swallowing anything too over the top or New Age-y (Is that even a word? New Age-y?). Anyway. I made it in time to catch his explanation on the difference between clairvoyance and mediumship. As I've mentioned many times before, I have little faith in mediums, that whole idea of a psychic "middle man" conveying messages to and from the spirit world on my behalf  just doesn't...

Today begins the much anticipated TMCC's Nevada Ghost and Paranormal Series 2010. As a former participant, I highly recommend these classes to anyone interested in the unknown, the paranormal, local history, and psychic phenomenon. As always, Kathy Berry has put together a great line up. This year's classes include: UFO study, dream analysis, life after death, spirit communication, paranormal photography and videography, researching haunted locations, decoding tombstones, and a ghost hunt field trip to Buckland Station at Fort Churchill State Park. As an added incentive, TMCC offered an extra investigation of the Chism House to those who signed up for the entire series and enrolled early. Unfortunately, due to prior work and school commitments, I was unable to sign up for the entire series this year. However, I did manage to work 3 classes into my schedule and the Buckland Station investigation. The classes I am taking are: Paranormal Photography and Videography wi...