CCTV Ghosts

Most of them are not what they seem

 

If you spend much time browsing around on YouTube, eventually you will fall down the rabbit hole of CCTV footage of ghosts. Or maybe I should say "ghosts," because most of these things are obviously anything but.
 
It seems like every day, a little bit more of the world is covered by CCTV security cameras. These systems monitor our public and private spaces 24/7, which means there is a lot of potential for catching paranormal phenomena. (Assuming that whoever is monitoring the cameras bothers to look, of course!) Unfortunately, several weaknesses inherent in the system make it also likely that a lot of false positives will be filmed… and it seems like they all end up on YouTube at one point or another.
 
1. Pranksters
This is an obvious problem. Let's say you're bored, creative, and have access to someone else's security camera. Maybe it's pointing at a neighbor's driveway, maybe it's filming the parking lot across the street. Maybe it's at your workplace, either current or former.


 
Eventually, you might start to get the itch to play a little joke. There are a lot of ways you can prank someone on the other end of a security camera. Remote control vehicles, puppets, kites, and models being pulled across the camera's vision on fishing line all come to mind. 
 
2. Insects
Security cameras have a fixed depth of field which is designed to keep their subject - usually at least 20 feet away - in focus. If a bug lands on the lens, most of them can't refocus on the insect. Instead, you end up with a big blur which moves around on its own. 
 
To make things worse, many security cameras have IR lights, which can attract insects. And many insects have shiny or light-colored bodies which reflect the light in weird ways.
 
3. Poor Resolution
If you move too quickly, many security cameras will capture only a blur of motion. You could probably dress up in a sheet and run past most CCTV cameras after dark, and it would look pretty eerie on tape.
 
From a forensic perspective, this poor resolution means that it's impossible to really dissect what you are seeing. Congratulations: you caught a blob on camera. All anyone can tell is "it's a blob." It could be an angel, a ghost, or just a headlight reflecting off a nearby window at a strange angle.
 
4. Hoaxes
The correlation is, it's pretty easy to gin up a hoax on CCTV footage. You don't need much technical sophistication to make an alien seem to appear on security camera tape! 

 

Poltergeists and Epilepsy

An interesting correlation

 

The poltergeist phenomena is unusual in the paranormal realm, in that everyone pretty much agrees on its source. Poltergeist activity is almost universally (among paranormal buffs and investigators) understood to be tied (in ways we don't understand) to a particular person in the household. Remove the person, and the poltergeist stops… but it starts up again in that person's new location.
 
The current theory is that poltergeist activity is actually a manifestation of latent telekinetic ability. Most people are familiar with this from Stephen King's novel and hit movie, "Carrie."
 
Poltergeist activity is similar to ghostly phenomena, in that it involves a lot of unusual and inexplicable noises. But in addition, it includes a big component of objects being moved around. Proper ghosts rarely move things very far or very often, but a poltergeist will rearrange the entire contents of a room in a flash, smash an entire china cabinet, or stack every single book in the house into one big pile.

 
Poltergeists also seem to manifest a lot of rage. A ghost may turn a lamp on when it was off, or close a door (sometimes suddenly). But a poltergeist will tear an entire bed to shreds, rip the curtains from the curtain rods, flip over the dinner table, or catastrophically empty the contents of a kitchen cabinet onto the kitchen floor.
 
The activity is almost invariably linked to a pubescent girl in the house. Paranormal researchers often find this inexplicable. But that is because - not to put too fine a point on it - most paranormal researchers are dudes. Having actually BEEN a pubescent girl… I don't find it the least bit unlikely.
 
Not every pubescent girl exists at the center of a swirling cloud of raging poltergeist destruction. (Thank goodness.) And one clue to the difference between a "regular" girl and a poltergeist victim may be epilepsy.
 
As Javier Ortega points out in this post on his Ghost Theory blog, there is a surprisingly strong link between epilepsy and poltergeist activity. One researcher found that in researching over 4,000 cases of poltergeist phenomena, the subject at the heart of the activity was "almost always prone to epileptic seizures."
 
Epilepsy is caused by damage to the brain tissue which "cause the brain to be too excitable or jumpy." Although it is completely untrue that "you only use 10% of your brain," it's not too great a stretch to wonder if, along with seizures, the brain being "too excitable or jumpy" can juice up otherwise-hidden telekinetic abilities.
 

The Sourtoe: Cocktail Made With A Dead Toe

Yep, really!

 

Could the "Sourtoe" be the world's worst cocktail? You would think that it wouldn't be a very popular option. And then you learn that it is served to "as many as a dozen people a night," and your understanding of humanity is a little bit shaken.
 
There is only one place in the entire world where you can order a Sourtoe Cocktail: the Sourdough Saloon in Dawson City. High in the Canadian Arctic they serve a drink that includes as garnish a mummified toe. And in order to count, the toe has to touch your lips as you drink the cocktail.

 
According to "saloon officials" (who one imagines can hardly be counted upon to serve as a disinterested party) it's all perfectly sanitary. The toes (there are two) live in pickled brine most of the time. When they are deployed in an alcoholic beverage, the alcohol helps sterilize them. Even after some yahoo slurps it, they say, there is no reason to be alarmed. Well, I mean, there are plenty of reasons to be alarmed. You just don't need to worry about catching anything from the dead toe.
 
The original drink was an entire beer glass full of champagne, but the bar staff has relented over the years. These days, the cocktail is comprised of a shot of any drink you choose. Plus the toe, of course. Most people choose a shot of hard alcohol, but the drink doesn't even have to be alcoholic. 
 
The original toe was found in a cabin which was purchased by Captain Dick Stevenson in 1973. The cabin's previous owner was a trapper who lost a toe to frostbite. For whatever reason, the trapper decided to put the toe in a jar and save it, instead of disposing of it. 
 
If you are thinking to yourself, "Who would ever know if I had really been to Dawson City and drunk a shot that had a withered disembodied toe in it?" think again. Those who consume the cocktail earn an official certificate. 
 
Why try the Sourtoe? The main reason is encoded in the name itself. It's a play on the word "Sourdough" which is an old Alaskan and northern Canadian term for a grizzled expert, someone who has lived Up North for decades, if not their entire life. A Sourdough is gruff, competent, and wise in the ways of the Bush. And what better way to prove your mettle than to drink a legendary beverage with a toe mummy in it?
 

Warrant-less GPS Tracking

It won't affect you... until it does.

 

You know the old saying, "It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you?" This is one conspiracy that is proven to be 100% true: due to a loophole in the current laws, the feds can attach a GPS tracking device to your car and track all your movements any time they want, without needing to get one of those pesky warrants first.
 
The principle underlying their ability to do this is the good old "expectation of privacy." It's the same reason that an undercover private investigator is legally allowed to follow you around all day taking pictures. When you are in public going about your business, because you don't expect to be private (not the way you would in your living room with your drapes drawn) so legally, you don't.
But instead of tailing you in an unmarked car, the feds can simply attach a small GPS tracker to your car's undercarriage. Two people have discovered these devices so far. The first person Wired reported on was an Arab-American man who found the device when he took his car in to get an oil change. 
 
The second person is the subject of the latest Wired article. Greg is a Hispanic man who found a device inside his bumper when he noticed the antenna sticking out. When he removed the device, it was later replaced by a GPS tracker inside a plastic clamshell with a powerful magnet. That one was stuck to his car's undercarriage, tucked up under the well for the spare tire.
 
The problem with GPS trackers from a privacy standpoint is that they track everything about your life outside your home. GPS tracking data can tell someone where you shop for groceries and how often, whether you drink and how much, if you go to the gym and how often, which church you attend and how often. A GPS tracker could uncover whether you are sneaking cigarettes, cheating on your spouse, sneaking out of work early when the boss is gone, or stopping by Baskin Robbins on the way home from the gym.
 
Many people's response is "Don't break the law and they won't have a reason to track you." But if this legal loophole isn't closed, consider who else can legally GPS track your car. Imagine if your employer, your spouse, your car insurance company, or your health insurance company decided to start using these devices. Legally, they can.
 
And maybe it's not such a bad idea to rig up one of those "mirror on a long stick" devices they use to check under cars at border crossings! Just in case.
 

The Bridgewater Triangle

And Hockomock Swamp

If you've never heard the phrase “window area” before, a window area is a region in which paranormal phenomena are reported with unusual frequency. One of the most extreme window areas in the United States is the infamous Bridgewater Triangle south of Boston.

Centered on the Hockomock Swamp, the Bridgewater Triangle area has been the location of a wide variety of strange events, including Satanic cult activity, UFO sightings, human sacrifices, Bigfoot reports, ghost dogs, cattle mutilations, animals with glowing eyes, Thunderbird sightings, weird lights and any other strange phenomena you can think of.

 

The Hockomock Swamp itself is a huge wilderness area of thorn bushes, water, mud and quick-sand. Many of the paranormal phenomena in the area have been centered on the swamp, but others have occurred in the Freetown State Forest, including the cattle mutilations and the cult activity. Several murders in the Forest in the 1980s were attributed to a drug gang that was also a cult. Supposedly the gang was committing human sacrifices in order to magically protect their drug business.

 

The area is also home to the Dighton Rock, a boulder covered in symbols of unknown origin but dating back at least several centuries. Ancient graves have been found in the area, and the Hockomock swamp is named after one of the most important deities of the Indian people of the Northeast. The swamp name is sometimes translated as “place of spirits,” but in fact the spirit in question is the deity Hockomock.

 

Puzzlewood: World's Most Magical Forest

And home to the "Puzzlewood Treasure"
If Aokigahara is the world's most frightening forest, then Puzzlewood must be its most wonderful. This forest is classified as an "ancient woodland," and lies near Coleford in Gloucestershire, England. The 14 acre site is a tourist attraction now, but in addition to serving as inspiration for J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien, it also has a history that stretches back to the Iron Age and probably earlier.
 
One of Puzzlewood's most remarkable geological features is its impressive collection of scowles. These are a feature which is found almost exclusively in and around Gloucestershire, due to its unusual geology. Scowles are a form of erosion which creates craggy small cliffs, caves, and trenches in the ground.

 
In Puzzlewood, these scowles have been colonized by ferns, plants, bats, and other small animals. But during the Iron Age, people capitalized on the geologic forms by excavating them even deeper to get to the iron ore that they revealed. Some of the scowles were deepened this way - others were actually filled in, as the ancient excavators back-filled their holes.
 
In 1848 a group of workmen discovered a "small cavity" in the rocks. They reached inside and pulled out three earthenware jars which had been hidden there during the Roman occupation. The jars contained over 3,000 Roman coins, which came to be known as "The Puzzlewood Treasure."
 
Puzzlewood is a gorgeous bit of woodland, dripping with mosses and ferns, and with an overall fairytale air. In the 1800s the property's owner laid down a system of narrow, meandering trails, and in the 20th century the trails were opened to the public, with a donation box at the entrance. It has an impressive display of bluebells in the springtime, and is also home to badgers, foxes, and a variety of native birds.
 
If an afternoon's visit isn't enough, you can also rent a cottage on the grounds. These small guest houses are fully equipped, and include the privilege of roaming the Puzzlewood grounds after normal visiting hours. (I wonder what the woods are like under a full moon on a summer's night?) They also accommodate birthday parties, weddings, and other large groups. Several shows have been filmed at Puzzlewood, including a 2010 episode of "Dr. Who" and several episodes of the BBC series "Merlin."
 
In recent years, Puzzlewood's management has added visitor facilities, including a café, gift shop, playground, pony rides, and others. Hopefully the management will maintain its restraint, and the beauty of Puzzlewood will remain relatively unspoiled and uncommercialized.

Aokigahara: Japan's Suicide Forest

Possibly the world's spookiest location

 

Aokigahara is the undisputed top of the list of the World's Creepiest Forests. Not just because the dense tree growth makes it claustrophobic, dark even at the height of the day, and eerily silent. Nor is it due to the surprising lack of common wildlife like small birds and squirrels, which gives the forest an abandoned feeling. Or the fact that navigation is almost impossible, because the overhead tree canopy makes it hard to get a GPS signal, and the forest floor's rich deposits of magnetic ore make traditional compasses almost useless.
 
No, it's mostly because Aokigahara has earned its nickname of "the Suicide Forest."

 
The forest has always been considered off-putting. It lies at the base of the renowned Mt. Fuji, and has historically been associated with demons and ghosts. And it has long been a popular place for committing suicide - according to Wikipedia, it is "the world's second most popular suicide location after San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge."
 
The modern popularity is traced back to a 1960 novel in which the protagonists, doomed lovers, travel to Aokigahara to commit suicide. It is difficult to get specific numbers on the suicide statistics, because not all of the bodies are found. And the local government has been downplaying the numbers, in the hopes of making it seem less appealing. 
 
A particularly memorable episode of Destination Truth investigated Aokigahara forest. The team members found several small caches of personal items (like wallets and photographs) which had apparently been discarded by their owners pre-suicide. They also experienced a considerable amount of paranormal activity, and caught some amazing footage of what appeared to be a man's shadowy form rise from the ground before sinking back in.
 
While investigating, the team also stumbled across another team of so-called investigators. These may have just been curious kids out to get a good scare, but they could also have been grave robbers. Unfortunately, Aokigahara's reputation has led it to become haunted by those who rob the bodies of the recently deceased, as well.
 
The forest is so remote and dense that it cannot effectively be patrolled. Once a year, a team of volunteers sweeps the forest to remove the dead bodies. Between 75-100 people commit suicide in Aokigahara every year, which means that in between annual patrols, morbid finds abound for the curiosity seeking hikers (and paranormal investigation teams) who venture inside. 
 
If you are considering suicide, please reach out for help. In the United States, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255).
 

Face in Tumor Ultrasound Perplexes Doctors

"The doctors agreed the image was probably just a coincidence and not a divine testicular imprint."

We like finding faces and figures in all sorts of places. Normally, people find the divine imprinted upon the mundane. Jesus shows up on toast, Mary appears as a water stain on the subway wall. We're starved for miracles in this day and age, so we take what we can get. It's still comforting to think that some presence is watching over us even if the only way they can communicate with us is through vague outlines on breakfast foods.

Not all chaotic apparitions are benevolent, though. Satan allegedly showed his face in the smoke coiling from the World Trade Center on 9/11, and now some guy in Canada has a demon in his balls.

And he's just in time for Halloween, too. When the 45-year-old man went in to get his severe testicular pain checked out, the doctors found a frightening image in the ultrasound. The mass seemed to be peering agape and wide-eyed up at them. The scan looked almost exactly like a startled human face. 

Some urologists might have shrugged off the image as mere coincidence, but this team of doctors thought that the ball-face was just too weird to let slip. They submitted it to the journal of the International Society of Urology along with an abstract that pondered whether the face belonged to the Egyptian god of virility. A bit of a stretch, perhaps (or maybe not, given the nature of most Egyptian mythology), but he certainly isn't Jesus. He doesn't have a beard, for one, and we all know Jesus doesn't make a habit of showing up in the scrotums of believers. It's just not his style. 

The doctors agreed the image was probably just a coincidence and not a divine testicular imprint. It's another example of pareidolia, the tendency of the human mind to find patterns in meaningless chaos. While sometimes people find writing in strange places, most pareidolia occurs when people see faces where there aren't any. It makes sense--faces are the first things we're programmed to pick out with our brand new, barely focused eyes. Recognizing other humans is a vital survival skill. The problem is that our human-sensing powers are usually a little too sensitive. We register anything that looks even a little like a face as an actual face. That's why cartoon characters are relatable to us even though they look very little like real humans. It's also why we keep seeing deities everywhere--even in testicular ultrasounds. 

The good news is that this terrifying-looking tumor wasn't very terrifying at all--doctors removed the testicle and found the tumor to be benign. Maybe this little man in the moon was just screaming at the prospect of his imminent biopsy. 

The Real Necronomicon?

No, But the Voynich Manuscript is Plenty Mysterious

The Voynich Manuscript is a mysterious book, recently confirmed to date to the early 15th century, that some people believe to be the real Necronomicon. Of course, since the Necronomicon is a fictional grimoire invented by H.P. Lovecraft for use in his horror stories, there is no “real Necronomicon”- but the connections are interesting.

 

Lovecraft describes the Necronomicon as a mysterious and unholy book, written by “the Mad Arab Abdul Alhazred.” The Necronomicon was at some point in the possession of the Elizabethan wizard John Dee, and at a copy is supposed to be held under lock and key by the (equally fictional) Arkham University.

 

The Voynich Manuscript has also been associated with John Dee, it is certainly mysterious, and it is held under lock and key by Yale University. The writer Colin Wilson, in his Lovecraft Mythos stories, explicitly identified Voynich with the Necronomicon.

So, what is Voynich? Nobody really knows, because no one can read it- the entire book is in an unreadable code that has defeated the efforts of the most skilled modern code-breakers. It doesn't appear to be gibberish, though- textual analysis supports the idea that the text is in some kind of language, although it doesn't fit the pattern of any known language.

 

That isn't all. The Voynich Manuscript is filled with detailed pictures of plants, but the pictures don't match any known plant species. It has a large fold-out map, but the map doesn't match any known place. It also has odd pictures of women swimming in some sort of tubing network, and star charts that seem to show a spiral galaxy.

 

The Voynich Manuscript may not be the real Necronomicon, but a lot of people would like to know what it actually says!

Is It Raining Cats, Dogs, Frogs, Or Sardines?

Hey, how would you like to wake up one day with yard full of slippery silvery sardines - and no, you don't live on the ocean?

 

That's exactly what happened to a couple in Ipswich, Australia in 1989. They woke up one morning with about 800 sardines in their yard. Geeze Louise!

 

It turns out fish showers aren't all that uncommon, well not THAT uncommon anyway. In 2004, Wales got a fish shower and in 2006 India got showered with fish too.

 

So, how is this all happening? It fish being picked up out of the water by a whirlwind and carried inland and dumped out on land. It's even more common with frogs!

 

In 2005, thousands of frogs landed on dry land nowhere near water in Serbia. The same type of crazy event happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1901 and it made front page news. Evidently, there were so many frogs, people had trouble walking down the street. Can you imagine what these folks must have thought? Maybe the world was coming to an end.

Well, I've heard of some crazy ways for animals to disperse themselves into new environments - spiders parachuting in the wind for example - but I think this one wins out as the craziest.

 

So the next time you hear that old saying, it's raining cats and dogs, look around and see if it's actually true or maybe you'll have to settle for frogs and sardines. I know I would think it was totally cool if this happened in my neighborhood and I'd have to take some pictures for sure!

Pages