International
Ghost Hunters Society - (Internet Newsletter) ghostweb.com
2000 (Exact Date Unknown)
By Dave Oester
Mission
Statement:
The Ghostweb is the official Web Site of the International Ghost Hunters Society. The IGHS
membership is FREE. The Society is dedicated and committed to the research, documentation,
education and investigation of ghostly phenomena recorded through digital, film and video
photography. The IGHS invites new members to join Dave & Sharon in this effort.
Greetings from Dr. Dave Oester:
This coming Sunday we will be doing a telephone interview with the Japanese radio station,
ZIP-FM, which is located in Nagoya Japan. They are the largest FM station in their area
and they have selected the International Ghost Hunters Society and our Home Study Course
to be their topic of discussion.
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IGHS Newsletter Content:
Dr. Dave's Comments
San Antonio Ghost Workshop
EMF Meters
Digital Static in Digital Recorders
Home Study Course
MiniTemp MT-4 Thermal Scanner
Dr. Sharon's Tid-Bits:
My Father's Message
My Dad's Voice
The Haunted Crockett Hotel
In Memory Of Eric DeVroeg
The Ghosts of the Menger Hotel
1. Dr. Dave's Comments:
An interesting occurrences has unfolded from our Virginia City Ghost Workshop weekend.
It seems that while we were holding the field investigation on Saturday night at the Gold
Hill Cemetery, some interesting happenings were occurring among the Workshop members..
Generally, one or two people will experience camera problems, such as dead batteries or
the shutter would not be activated. However, at Gold Hill Cemetery, it seems that about
half a dozen investigators reported their camera failing in the same area of cemetery at
about the same time. In the past, I had thought that if my battery goes dead, it is
because an orb has passed through the camera or near the batter and drains the energy from
it.
However, in this case, it was not an orb that drained the battery life or momentary
prevented the camera from proper functioning. It seems that Sharon camera also acted up
that evening and just before the camera stopped working she captured an interesting
phenomena on film. Her photo was extremely washed out leaving very little details in the
print. The photo on each side of her washed out print was okay, showing full details as
expected while shooting with a flash. The print following the washed out image was not
until the camera started to work again and after she walked away from that one area of the
cemetery where other cameras were being affected.
This washed out print resembled images that I had seen before a few months earlier, I got
a video tape in the mail taken at Bachelor Grove Cemetery, outside of Chicago, that showed
footage of an investigation. Suddenly the clear video footage started to wash out,
starting in the upper right hand corner and flowing downward until only some outlines were
visible. It was as if a surge of energy encompassed the video from a source to the right
of the cameraman. This surge of energy blanketed the video being recorded.
I talked with a tech guy who worked in the USAF in the EMF field and he assured me that a
very strong EMF field could result in the same condition as what I was viewing on video.
Therefore, Sharon's photo must have been the last one before a very strong EMF field
encompassed the immediate area. Such a strong field has been noted when portals or worm
holes opens and spirits enter our realm. I remember events in Southern Washington a few
years ago when Sharon was caught in such a portal opening and her entire energy was
drained, brutal migraine headaches and a sudden dizziness overwhelmed her.
Another interesting bit of information, John Verhoef had a Toshiba PDR-M4 (2.3 megapixel
digital camera.) that also went dead in the same area. Unfortunately, John discovered his
digital camera had more serious problems. The digital camera had its charging/battery
circuit burned out as if from an overload spike.
This suggest further studies should be conducted and possible warnings about the dangers
of portal openings to digital cameras and camcorders. This would be the ideal time for EMF
meters to be employed, each searching for increases in the EMF fields that might signal a
rip in the space-time continuum resulting in a portal opening. I would suggest that this
EMF increase would be massive.
While this phenomena is not new and has been experience may many investigators in the
past, perhaps we can help correlate some of the experiences of other investigators and
share those findings with our readers.
2. San Antonio Ghost Workshop:
We have planned our Second San Antonio Ghost Workshop for September 16, 2000. This all
day event will cover three hours of training and then the balance of the day will be
applying what was learned. We will be working with EVP and with Ghost Photography. We will
be exploring the famous Railroad Tracks and the five Old Spanish Mission, along with some
new haunts to explore.
Last year two
of our members had a large orb appear outside their car windows as they waited for the
rest of the members to arrive. The orb was seen at the drivers side window and then
floated to the passenger side window. This was a fantastic experience for the two members.
Last year, Sharon captured a supercharged orb in motion at the famous Railroad tracks on
Villamain road. I captured an orb that cast a shadow on the railroad tracks. We have
posted two more great photos taken at the same location by Tina Grau that show what we
call "Supercharged Orbs in Motion."
People come together as strangers and leave as friends. This is a hands-on type of
workshop. San Antonio is a beautiful city and boy is it haunted. Join Dave and Sharon for
an adventure that you will talk about for a long time. Bring along your camcorder and
maybe you will capture some floating orbs or ectoplasmic spirit energy.
Registration will be limited again so do not delay signing up for it. You can get more
info at http://www.ghostweb.com/alamo.html. This is a great way to close out the Summer!
3. EMF Meters:
Yes, we still carry the EMF digital display meters that records EMF fields from
.1-milligauss to 199-milligauss. This would be an excellent meter for recording the sudden
emergence of a portal opening during an investigation. It is suspected that massive EMF is
generated when a portal/worm hole appears in our dimension. Check them out at
http://www.ghostweb.com/detectors.html. We do provide instructions on how to use the EMF
meter for ghost hunting for those who purchase the EMF from us. Other companies and groups
do not supply instructions so you are on your own, but not when you order through the
Ghostweb.Com.
4. Digital Static in Digital Recorders:
Digital recorders are great, but they do record some extremely strong digital static
that many people are fooled into believing to be angry voices from beyond the grave. I
have been a Ham Radio Operator since age 15 and have essentially grown up with radio
static all my life. The digital static recorded on IC recorders are from atmospheric
discharges and not from demented spirits. Don't be fooled.
I am amused
that many are misled into thinking that loud squawking sounds are spirits in torment. This
is simply not the case, but the sounds are natural and normal. All of us have been
listening to our car radios and at times we hear static discharges as pops and crashed on
the car radio when a thunderstorm or electric storm is near. Well, the same thing is
happening with IC recorders, this time the source of the discharges may be from M Class
Solar Flares, X Class Solar Flares, or other solar storms that bombard the earth with
intense charged particles. The source may also be the normal thunder and lightening storms
off in the distance that we are not aware of at the time.
When recording for EVP, the voices will sound human, not as digital static. Please do not
allow your imagination to soar by translating digital static into angry and torment souls
crying for help. If a digital IC recorder is going to be used, then learn to separate the
natural discharges from human voices being recorded, else leave the digital recorders
alone. Standard audio tape recorders do an excellent job and the voices sound very much
human. The static discharges on audio tape is not as noticeable as on digital format.
5. The IGHS Home Study Course:
Scared of ghosts? Is your home haunted? How do you deal with someone who can see and
hear the Walking Dead? Consider the Home Study Course if you would like to know more about
the Spirits of the Dead or why paranormal events are happening to you. Perhaps you have
poltergeist activity in your home or know of someone whose home is haunted and you want
answers. Hundreds have taken the course and developed a much deeper understanding of the
Spirit Realm. Once the course is completed, the Home Study Course Manual becomes a
valuable resource tool in your Library. Show us that you have applied the teachings of the
Course and become a member of the Inner Circle Society.
The Home Study Course is designed for the lay person who desires to learn about ghosts.
This course details a comprehensive coverage in such areas as, understanding ghosts and
why they are earthbound, nature and configuration of ghostly energy patterns,
understanding exorcism, where to find ghosts and why, and most important how to conduct
successful ghost investigations. Read more about this parapsychology Home Study Course at
http://www.ghostweb.com/cgh.html. Discover why we have said, "Ghosts are
Everywhere" in 1994 when we did a full segment with ABC News Nightline.
6. MiniTemp MT-4:
The MT-4 is a really cool tool for locating floating orbs and ectoplasm, especially
those that favor the ceilings and hard to find recesses. This is one of those tools that
is simply a delight to use. We have more fun with the MT-4 then our EMF meters. Besides,
our BooBoo goes crazy chasing the red dot on the floor! These hand held units sell for
$139 and the carrying pouch is $13. Shipping is $10. More info can be found at
http://www.ghostweb.com/detector.html.
7. Dr. Sharon's Tid-Bits:
We have experienced some real strong solar activity this past week and periodically
for months now. This is a normal eleven year solar cycle, so this activity is nothing new
really. We may not remember what took place eleven years ago, as it didn't effect us or we
were young enough it didn't bother us and we had better things on our minds at the time.
Yet there are still some folks clinging to the "end-of-the-world" prophecies
because the doomsdayers are still out there, busily working to instill that fear.
People can be sensitive to the electromagnetic waves that are hitting the earth and react
in different ways, such as, headaches and severe headaches, feelings of added stress,
pressure, restlessness, loss of sleep, tense muscles, cramps, body aches and pains,
depression, a sense of urgency, panic, etc. Just to name some of the symptoms people are
experiencing these days. Often these strong solar flares cause these symptoms and we don't
realize it. Also, we tend to listen to the negative jabber about the world ending anytime
now, and that will send to effect the body as well, in similar fashion.
When working in my hometown hospital, in the Emergency Room, medical personnel and law
enforcement officers always knew and prepared for the cycle of the full moon. This lunar
cycle always increased the activity of what they termed back then as "the
crazies." It was like the really weird things happened during the full moon and
people would do some very bizarre things. Very extraordinary activities took place that
normally would not happen. The geomagnetic strength during a full moon would have such an
effect on people and more crimes took place, more accidents happened on the roads, of a
far more serious nature and no one really knew what was going to happen, but they prepared
for the weird and abnormal to occur. This is still true today.
Those very sensitive to the geomagnetic field effects of the full moon virtually wig-out,
doing very strange things. This is where the term, "lunatic" stemmed from as the
result of the odd behavior patterns demonstrated during the full moon cycle.
Just as the lunar cycles have an effect on people, they also have an effect on spirits as
they are electromagnetic in nature. Solar activity, especially the strong solar
"M" and "X" class flares we are experiencing now, also effect the
activity of spirits which increased during these blasts coming to earth from the sun.
These are excellent times to get out in the field and take photographs and try some EVP.
Check our web site daily solar conditions.
Understanding the strong feelings you might be experiencing can help you to deal with
them, remind you to check the solar activity panel on the ghostweb home page and realize
this is a good opportunity to document ghostly activity with cameras, video camcorders,
tape recorders and electronic meters! It might even help you work through what you are
experiencing by focusing on getting some extraordinarily strong spirit activity. Take
advantage of this opportunity when the sun is emitting the strong charged particles that
bombards the earth. Oh yes, let us know what you find while you are investigating your
favorite haunted sites. We would love to hear what you are finding during the periods of
these strong solar flares.
.
8. My Father's Message by Carmen Myers of
carmy@texas.net:
Four years ago my father passed away. He was only 53 and died suddenly of a heart
attack while watering his lawn. A few weeks after his death my two sons and I were going
to his house to clean out some clothes. I has been working at the house each night to
prepare it for sale.
On numerous occasions the radio would come on. This happened once while my husband was
there and when he checked it, it was unplugged and there were no batteries in it. The most
unusual incident was on the way to my fathers house. My older son and I were discussing
how different life would be with my father gone, when my two and a half year old who could
barely talk, said very clearly that he missed us and wished he could have his old life and
friends back. We both said at the same time that was my father speaking.
At the house I felt mixed feelings about removing my dads personal items when I felt a
very comforting hand on my shoulder. I knew he was reassuring me that things were ok.
Shortly afterwards the new owners of the house began to ask a lot of questions about my
fathers death They wanted to know if he had died in the house. They wanted to know the
exact location of the body.
A year or so later I visited a small church that had a speaker about afterlife. There were
about ten people in the room and she said there was a man named Tom there to say hi. I
knew that it was my father who did make it to the other side. Just last week I woke up at
3 in the morning to the strong smell of my fathers cologne. A few days later I realized it
was on the anniversary of his death. We were so very close that I'm not at all surprised
that he comes to see me from time to time.
My husband has witnessed me call to him whenever something is misplaced and within minutes
the item is found, it even worked on a neighbors two missing dogs. They had been missing
for hours and appeared within five minutes of my asking my father for help. My great aunt
said that at the time of his death his picture fell off of her dresser. What's funny is
that my father would have never believed a story like this.
9. My Dad's Voice by S. Gates of
tarotcat@ix.netcom.com:
On March 23 my father passed from this life to the next. During February and March I
was unable to visit him as often as we both wished. We kept in constant communication via
the telephone, running up quite a phone bill. About 1 week before his actual passing I
heard my father call my name in a loud voice, as if he really needed me to get up and
speak to him. I was in bed asleep. Being a heavy sleeper, especially after a long day at
work, it takes a bit to wake me. The sound was in the house and sounded as if he was in
the doorway to the bedroom. The voice was unmistakably his, and he spoke my name loud
enough to wake me from a sound sleep. He may have called more than once, but I
distinctively heard the one time. It was a bit before 3 AM. I am sure we were on each
others mind at the time. He was dying of cancer and could not travel. My belief is his
thoughts traveled to my location. During dreams it is not unusual for us to astral travel.
I feel this is what he was doing. Just food for thought...
10. The Haunted Crockett Hotel by Sharon Gill,
Ph.D.
In San Antonio, Texas, behind the Alamo, today sits the Crockett Hotel. On March 6,
1836, that area was part of the bloody Battle of the Alamo.
The I.O.O.F. (International Order of Odd Fellows) bought the property, which at that time
included a general merchandise store, in 1907. The I.O.O.F. built a combination lodge and
hotel in 1909 on the property. In 1982, the property was sold again, bought by a native
San Antonian and renovations began to restore the hotel to it's original condition. Today
it is an invitingly comfortable hotel and it is said to be haunted.
A staff member at the Crockett Hotel had seen the figure of a dark-haired man moving
toward a kitchen, located near the executive offices. When checking the kitchen, no one
was there. Other staff members had seen this unknown figure as various times also. In the
same area, whispers have been heard, as though conversations are going on between unseen
presences. Curtains in unoccupied rooms have been seen moving without cause and electronic
doors open and close by themselves, as though ghostly visitors have suddenly crossed the
threshold into the building.
This activity seems to be centered around the executive offices which encircle the patio
and swimming pool. Historically, on the eve of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, it is said
that hundreds of Mexican troops moved into that area and lay in wait for the badly
outnumbered Texans. Of course it was in that battle that so many were slaughtered from the
Texas side, and their bodies were left where they lay, later to be burned. There were too
many to be buried and too few to lay their bodies to rest.
11. In Memory Of Eric DeVroeg:
We received a letter this past week from the Mother of one of our young IGHS Members
from Washington State. Her son, Eric DeVroeg, had attended one of our workshops here on
the ranch, back in 1998. She said he had enjoyed the time he spent with us and learned
much from attending. It was a highlight in his life according to his Mother, and it seems
that he had kept track of the web site and our E-mail address, because they were still in
his computer.
We were stunned to hear that Eric, only in his twenties, had passed away two weeks ago, in
his sleep. The cause of his sudden death was Cardiac dysrythmia- cause unknown. We both
fondly remember the time Eric spent with us, as we enjoyed his enthusiasm for spirit
photography and learning more about the nature of ghosts.
Our sincere
condolences go out to Eric's Mother in her time of loss and grief. He was a very special
young man who will truly be missed.
12. The Ghosts of the Menger Hotel by Sharon Gill,
Ph.D.
Right on Alamo Plaza sits the beautiful, historic Menger Hotel. Not only is it the
oldest hotel in San Antonio, it is possibly the oldest hotel in America, still in
operation. The builder was a young brewer, William Menger. Having a tavern reputed to have
the best beer west of the Mississippi, Menger decided to build an inn to lodge his
customers.
The intact basement with its two to three foot thick, hard-cut rock walls, most likely was
the perfect place to store the malt and hops that were imported from New York. This was
one of the first breweries in Texas.
History indicates that the Alamo Madre Ditch, which is one of several existing tunnels
beneath the building, was used for chilling beer made right there. It was the sub-basement
that allegedly housed the renegade Apache, Geronimo as a prisoner for a time, before he
was sent on to the reservation. This sub-basement today, is the eeriest and most
mysterious part of the old hotel. There remains a steel door, a heavy metal bar and two
padlocks underground. Behind this door is a ten-by-twelve rock walled room with an arched
ceiling. The strange thing about this is that the heavily secured room is that to this
day, it remains empty! There is nothing inside, by one has to wonder why?
Perhaps the reason is, this is where Geronimo was imprisoned. Workmen down around that
area have heard woeful sounds emanating from the vicinity of the room. It is suggested
they might be the mournful chants, echoing from the past as the Indian was held captive.
Mr. Menger expanded the small inn into a grand hotel which opened on February 2, 1859,
drawing people from everywhere for this major event. Through the years the Menger Hotel,
according to old registration books and ledgers, has welcomed some very rich and famous
people.
Just to name a few, whose names I am sure most of you will recognize, there was U.S.
Grant, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Sarah Bernhardt, Lillie Langtree, Beverly Sills,
Oscar Wilde, Buffalo Bill Cody, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, who frequented the hotel as a
favorite place to stay. One of the suites was named after Roy Rogers as he loved the hotel
so much.
Theodore Roosevelt is said to have conducted a lot of his recruiting for the Rough Riders
in the Menger bar. One hotel manager, convinced that the hotel was haunted, said he knew
Teddy's ghost has returned several times to the Menger bar, as well as to the hotel
itself. It seems he loved to ring the bell at the front desk for service and has done this
many, many times in the past. Unfortunately when the lobby was remodeled, the bell was
removed. The staff is sure that Teddy misses ringing that bell!
Maintenance men have reported locked doors that will not stay closed. The doors are to
remain locked and yet they will discover they not only are unlocked, but are standing wide
open. They relock the doors only to return and find, once again, they are unlocked and
wide open. In the hotel, music and the sounds of marching have been heard in various
areas. A woman in blue has been seen walking the hallways several times.
Rumors of odd occurrences occurring on the second floor, in a certain room in an old
section of the hotel have been heard. The wooden floors in a long, dimly lit hallway,
creak when people walk on them. The door to this room is located on this long hallway. The
rear of the room has floor-to-ceiling windows and outside is a balcony with a green
painted iron railing. The windows overlook the famous Patio Garden, which is gorgeous, by
the way. Several employees of the hotel have reported "bizarre incidents," that
are typically reported from haunted buildings. Lights flickering on and off, strange
noises, doors closing by themselves and the feelings of being watched are strong here.
One housekeeper cleaning the room felt someone was in the room with her one day. She
turned to see a woman clothed in an old fashioned, long blue dress, sitting in a chair
nearby. She was described as being a pretty young woman with shoulder length blondish
hair. The woman appeared odd, because of her old-style of dress, but as the maid watched,
the woman vanished before her eyes.
The restless spirit of a lady wanders the hallways on the third floor of the original
building. This ghost has been seen most frequently, clad in a long, full skirt, a scarf or
bandana wrapped around her head and a long, beaded necklace around her neck. Sometimes she
wears an apron too. This is believed to be the ghost of Sallie White who worked at the
Menger in 1876 as a chambermaid. She worked hard and was well liked in life and was
appreciated by the hotel management.
But alas, tragedy struck on March 28, 1876, when Sallie's life ended prematurely while
working at the hotel. She was shot, by her husband who was considered to be a vile fellow.
Sallie White didn't die right away. She lingered, suffering terribly for two days before
she finally passed away.
If you decide to stay in the Menger Hotel while visiting San Antonio, you may be
privileged to see the ghost of someone resembling Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried
Chicken fame. Actually, it is the ghost of Captain Richard King, found of the famous King
Ranch, south of San Antonio at Kingsville. The King Suite, named after Captain King
remains furnished with period furniture, including the four poster, canopy bed in which
Captain King died. In August 1885, at dusk, the Captain died of unknown causes in his bed
in his favorite suite in the Menger Hotel. He had loved the place so much, the funeral for
him, was held in the front parlor of the hotel. He has been observed walking the hallway
on the third floor at times by security personnel on duty in the hotel.
At the 1999 Ghost Workshop in San Antonio, we had some attendees staying at the Menger
Hotel. Three of the ladies staying there reported doing some investigating in various part
of the hotel and on one floor, observed a lady sitting on a bench near the elevator,
knitting. That was no problem until the lady disappeared from view. Photos taken in the
hotel revealed orbs and those staying there, reported having many strange experiences
during their visit.
Knowing some of the history of the hotel and the stories of the ghostly presences who
still frequent the place, who know what might be found at the Menger Hotel, this year!
Kind regards,
Dave
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Dr. Dave Oester, PhD
Dr. Sharon Gill, PhD.
International Ghost Hunters Society
Crooked River Ranch, OR
Telephone/Fax: 541-548-4418
Web Site: http://www.ghostweb.com
IP Address: 64.26.3.170
Email: Ghostweb@Ghostweb.com