Author: Alex Matsuo

Exposing the Truth About Ghost Stories

Alex Matsuo2 Comments

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In September 2021, I made some waves on social media with the following statement:

After I published a TikTok video about trauma and the paranormal, one of my followers suggested that I read Ghostland by Colin Dickey. I have to say, this is probably one of the most important books for any paranormal researcher and investigator to read.

I’ll do a full book review on my team’s website, Association of Paranormal Study once I complete it. I wish I hadn’t sat on this book for so long. It came out in 2016, and yet, I never heard of it until a beloved follower suggested it to me. 

Anatomy of a Ghost Story

Ghost stories have always been a point of interest for us as humans, even more so if they’re based on truth. There’s something about the creepiness of the unknown that not only gives us a thrill, but offers some sort of security blanket that it will never happen to us…or could it? This feeling is very similar to being a true crime fan. Like…it couldn’t happen, but it could. I think that’s the heart of the paranormal community. These events seem so unreal, but there’s an element of truth to them. 

The anatomy of ghost stories, local legends, and lore, has always fascinated me. Ghost stories can tell so much about our history and legacy as a society. The fact that marginalized groups are so often left out of this narrative is very telling. These groups are often treated as the other when they are included in narratives. This is especially true for TV shows. The trope of “ancient Indian burial grounds” comes to mind. Dickey also goes into this in Ghostland as well as in an interview for the podcast, The Q Files. It’s worth a listen. Another is, “They were practicing witchcraft.” And finally, “These two men who lived together for decades were best friends and roommates.” Okay, sure.

The first two points are often used to explain an angry or aggressive haunting. Instead of pointing the responsibility in how these marginalized groups were treated by society, blame is placed on the aggressor. I’ve often noticed that these groups are often lumped into the “evil” haunting or even a demonic haunting.

Ghost Story as Escapism

According to the BBC article, The secret meaning of ghost stories, “Women were contributing around 70% of ghost stories to magazines in the 19th Century.” Ghost stories were a way for women to break against society as well as challenge conventional gender norms of the time. Why mention this? I think it could give us a clue on how ghost stories have evolved over time. But how consciously aware of it are we?

Our bias can also provide us a way of escape, even if we’re not consciously aware of it. As we continue this journey, keep bias in mind. Consider how it has shaped paranormal experiences and ghost stories of real places.

Paul Patterson, Ph.D noted that the earliest ghost stories date back to Ancient Rome. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve heard me talk about the story of Athenodorus. I’ve mentioned the story a few times in my books as well. Patterson mentions that in these early years, the ghosts were just…there. They aren’t harming anyone and really, they’re only tied to unfinished business, like a botched burial. Then, Patterson continues to say that as history entered into the late 18th century, ghost stories became quite dark and aggressive, heralding the genre of gothic fiction.

The Made Up Ghost Story

It’s hard to face the fact that most ghost stories are made up. Throughout history, humans have been conditioned to try to fill in the blanks when it comes to things we don’t understand. As we continue to gain more understanding in various fields of sciences, those mysterious ghost stories we grew up with are now becoming more explainable. Those footsteps you hear from behind you? Floorboards readjusting. The Salem Witch Trials? No witches involved, except for Tituba, who studied root work. Just a corrupt Puritan community hungry for land and power and potential ergot poisoning as the catalyst.

It is from the lack of understanding is where we see who is (or was) the dominant social group of the time. In Ghostland, Colin Dickey recounts the neighborhood of Shockcoe Bottom in Richmond, Virginia. The particular neighborhood has lots of bars and restaurants, filled with ghosts that are predominantly white. However, just down the block, slaves were bought at sold as well as imprisoned. With so much trauma that occurred in one area, why are the ghosts reported as predominantly white?

Dickey made a brilliant point about the neighborhood’s white tourism and the burying of such a horrific chapter of its history. He says “For those who would rather not revisit those days, the city’s ghost lore makes it easy, turning our attention to murdered gunsmiths and fabled prostitutes” (Dickey 117).

Historical Context

In 2014, I wrote a book called, The Haunted Actor: An Exploration of Supernatural Belief Through Theatre. The book was primarily based on my research into paranormal belief as shown through plays and musicals throughout history. From my analysis, I was able to get context on the belief of spirits for a play’s respective time period. For example, exploring the idea of a ghost’s identity was analyzed with Hamlet. The perspective of witchcraft and sorcery during the Elizabethan era can be found in plays like Macbeth, The Tempest, Doctor Faustus, etc.

Through historical texts like plays, sonnets, poems, etc. we truly get a glimpse into paranormal beliefs of that era. However, we’re seeing it through the eyes of the dominant group of that time period. Silence was meted out to those that didn’t have fame or couldn’t read or write.

In my blog, A Different Kind of Therapy: Processing Trauma with Ghost Hunting, I talk about how modern day paranormal investigators and researchers use the paranormal as a way to process trauma. That could be personal trauma, or facing the trauma that is history, especially in the United States.

An Ignored Group

Another point that Dickey makes is the fact that dominant ethnic group often controls the narrative, even when they don’t mean to. A slave, for instance, was not allowed to read or write. This meant that they weren’t able to record their stories; whether that be personal experiences, family history, cultural ghost stories, etc. By the time former slaves were dying off in the 1930’s, the federal government put forth the WPA project recording slave narratives. Thanks to oral tradition, they were able to save many of these stories, but not all of them. There are millions of stories that we will never learn about because the people who knew them are no longer with us.

Also, the dominant group has better control over the narrative of marginalized people. This is especially true in places like Myrtles Plantation and Monticello. Dickey, for instance, tells about sightings of Jefferson’s ghost and how he is regarded as benevolent. Given the dynamic of Jefferson’s problematic personal life (specifically Sally Hemmings) and the fact he enslaved over 600 people in his life, how is it that there isn’t much discussion when it comes to hauntings by slaves?

Another potent example is the La Llorona, also known as the weeping woman. It is often mentioned to me by friends and followers of Latin American descent how the legend is whitewashed, especially in Hollywood. Now, it seems the white woman in Victorian dress dominates the narrative instead of its originator.

The Role of Bias

I realize hardcore believers in the paranormal may say it’s because they moved on. But how do we actually know this? While I’m a skeptical believer in ghosts and paranormal, I also know that we can’t actually prove any of this. Also, we don’t ever really know who or what we’re talking to. So, how can one confidently say that they’re communicating with the spirit of Thomas Jefferson? Why does one assume that if they see a shadow in the wine cellar, it’s that of a murdered white gunsmith? These questions especially puzzle me when the experiences don’t line up with the history.

The impact of the area’s turbulent past on residual hauntings may clarify things a bit if we take that into account. But then again, that also exposes the glaring inaccuracies of record keeping and reports of paranormal experiences. I know that many of these ghost stories were made up for entertainment purposes, and to make a location seem more exciting.

Bias in True Encounters

Several of the stories are also true, so it’s important to recognize that. I find it fascinating to see how they are interpreted by people of different genders, races, religions, and sexual identities. Depending on who you talk to, reactions and interpretations are vastly different.

Since this is the case, will we ever be able to truly identify spirits? Are ghost stories simply a way to process trauma and make difficult topics easier to digest?

I’ll be honest, I truly noticed the role of bias coming through when I work with mediums. If I know them well, it’s even easier for me to spot it. Is this a bad thing? I’m not sure. What I do know is that psychic mediums, empaths, and intuitives can change the dynamic of an investigation from positive to “demons are coming” in a matter of minutes. Being aware of not only our own bias, but the bias of others can help maintain some accountability.

Moving Forward as Paranormal Investigators

I believe, as paranormal investigators and researchers become more aware of their bias, it will help maintain an open mind. Honestly, we will never find tangible proof for spirits. At this stage of my life, I’ve accepted that the paranormal is a personal journey for everyone, much like religion. That personal journey is based on our bias. These biases come from our upbringing, trauma, family dynamic, the list goes on.

I’ve noticed that the more effective and knowledgeable paranormal investigators, psychic mediums, witches, etc. are ones who are self-aware of these biases. Instead of jumping to conclusions, they look at all possibilities and don’t immediately assume that they know the spirit they are talking to. In full transparency, this is something I’m working on for myself.

What do you think?

Gabby Petito Is Not a Ghost To Be Contacted

Alex Matsuo2 Comments

The tragedy of Gabby Petito is nothing short of horrific. A young and bright star was extinguished much too quickly at the hands of a monster. In case you’re not aware, 22-year-old Gabby Petito was reported missing on September 11, 2021. She and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, embarked on a four-month cross-country road trip. It was to be full of camping and visiting national parks. Laundrie returned to his family in Florida on September 1st, but Petito wouldn’t be reported missing until ten days later.

Laundrie became a person of interest four days later, but he isn’t arrested. He disappeared on September 17th, and his family reports that they hadn’t seen him for three days. On September 19th, in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming remains were spotted. Tragically, her remains are identified on September 21st. At the time this blog was written, Laundrie is still missing. Now there’s a warrant for his arrest for bank fraud. It’s a mess.

Helpful or Hurtful?

As Petito’s story started going viral, true crime sleuths started coming together trying to figure out what happened to her. This was long before her remains were identified and she was still missing. The internet can be a wonderful community full of resources like this. In fact, a YouTube video played a major role in helping to identify Petito and Laundrie’s van, which led to the discovery of her remains.

But there were a few other communities that tried to jump on the Petito wagon; paranormal investigators and mediums. For far too long, there have been ongoing issues of paranormal investigators trying to contact the spirits of deceased celebrities through decorated and embellished spirit boxes. These videos are then posted on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter…you name it. Videos of this nature normally get an incredible amount of videos. If the creator is monetized on any of these platforms, they get a nice paycheck.

The psychic and mediumship community is no different. It seems that the way to gain views, followers, and even new clients, is to post videos of their readings and post them online.

Do any of these people contact the deceased’s family in the process? Most likely not. Several in the paranormal and psychic mediumship communities are coming together to call out this behavior and point out just how problematic it is.

“If it was for help, it wouldn’t be posted,” says evidential medium Megan Alisa on one of her latest TikTok videos. She encouraged the creators of this type of content to really sit down and figure out the real reason that their doing this.

Exploiting the Dead for Clout

Simply put, publicly posting spirit box sessions and and readings without the consent of involvement of the deceased’s family is exploitive. Nine times out of ten, the creator has no contacted the family for permission. But honestly, they don’t care. Reaching out to “spirits” of missing persons and murder victims without consent is unethical and gross. Doing so, especially with or without consent of the family, is not helpful. It’s hurtful, it’s traumatizing, and it makes the grieving process so much more difficult.

What’s even a larger issue is that more than likely none of these creators are actually contacting Petito. The videos that I’ve seen have consisted of these creators trying to make sense of “word salad” through muffled and random noises they’re hearing on the box. They never knew Petito personally, so how would they even know that’s who they’re talking to? Even if you’re a hardcore believer in the paranormal, you should be skeptical of this. How would you even know that you’re talking to Petito’s ghost? How would you know that you’re not talking to some other ghost pretending to be Petito in order to protect her spirit?

My personal opinion is that none of these creators have been in contact with Petito’s spirit and are literally making up a story as they go…all for the views.

Trauma Predator

My friend Kat at Spooktasticx said something brilliant to me while we were live on the night of Wednesday, September 22nd. She mentioned that these creators are “trauma predators” in the fact that they are preying on Petito and her family. Not only that, they are preying on their audience who generally believe this stuff to be real.

Creators like these prey on our vulnerabilities and greatest fears and exploit them to their advantage. It’s proof that there is a gross lack of empathy in these practices, and instead of calling it out and being held accountable, these creators are rewarded with fans, followers, views, and an elevated platform.

Pushing the Demon Narrative

Another disturbing trend is that people are blaming demons on the loss of Gabby Petito. By placing the blame on demons and pushing the narrative that Laundrie is possessed, it eradicates any personal responsibility he has in this terrible crime. The whole “the devil made me do it” mindset takes away any accountability from Laundrie. Terrible people are terrible people, and demons aren’t to blame.

I recently made a video reaction to a creator that compared Laundrie to Chris Watts. The original video makes the claim that the similarities alludes that demons are involved. What were the similarities? Well, they looked alike. Sound the alarms, bald white guys with beards look alike. The creator claims that “Demons are said to jump once they completed their mission.”

Honestly? Demons are cop out.

Blaming demons is a way to avoid addressing the real issue at hand. Instead of trying to figure out where we are going wrong as a society with misogyny, abuse, not raising our men to hurt women, racism, etc., we blame demons. We are using demons to avoid facing the fact that we are failing at helping and treating people with mental illnesses and failing victims of crimes.

Instead of taking responsibility, we blame demons and give the people who commit these crimes an easy way out.

Half the Problem

But let’s talk about something that’s even more difficult. These creators are only half of the problem. The remainder of the responsibility lies within the general public and audience. I see these types of videos going viral far too often, especially after a celebrity passes away. In the comments, I see followers and fans requesting other long-gone celebrities be contacted, much like ordering off a menu. This is inhumane on extraordinary levels.

Ordering creators to contact victims and celebrities is the main problem. I’m not sure where the blame lies for this disturbing trend. Perhaps it’s because society sees celebrities and victims as products instead of people. Therefore, their humanity is stripped.

This has to stop. Not only do we need to tell these creators to stop making this kind of content, but we need to hold their fanbase accountable. The creators won’t make this content if it doesn’t give them views. Their fans and followers need to be called out along with them. Someone has to tell them to stop encouraging these types of videos.

Advocating for the Grieving

A few years ago, I confronted one of the original creators of this trend. He accused me of having a skewed view of death. But he completely missed the point. It’s not the spirits that are being harmed with these videos (I hope not).

It’s grieving families that are left behind.

When paranormal creators are making this kind of content 99.99% of the time, the grieving families are not involved. I’d venture to say it’s close to 100% that these families did not give their consent for their loved ones to be used in this manner. But it doesn’t mean that they don’t see the content and they’re not affected by it. Ultimately, this content harms the deceased family that is left behind to pick up the pieces.

We need to do better by the victims and their families.

Paranormal Burnout: Did I Get Tired of the Ghosts?

Alex Matsuo2 Comments

If you’ve been following me on social media, then you know that I’ve crossed the threshold into burnout. A paranormal burnout. What’s exceptionally sad is that I’m not even investigating that much these days. It’s the constant engagement with the community, research, writing, creating content, it’s all been a bit too much. My mind was starting to deteriorate, and I felt like I didn’t know how to exist anymore. Honestly, it got terrifying for a while.

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Definitely.

Regular Burnout

I find myself in burnout almost regularly, and it made me realize that I needed a break. It also has made me realize that what I was doing wasn’t really working, at least not without some help. Releasing a weekly video, a weekly blog, and a weekly podcast by myself is absolutely insane. But, given that my audience was growing and growing fast, I felt incredibly pressured to continue releasing content on a schedule to keep that momentum going. My biggest fear was that people would leave if I stopped creating content. Not to mention, I had to start investigating again so I could go through that data and create even more content. It’s a vicious cycle.

Eventually, the ongoing creation of content became too much, and I felt like I was going crazy. I barely had time for peace and quiet. What concerned me the most was that I was really starting to resent everything in the paranormal. From ghosts, watching investigations, reading and retelling stories, engaging with the community, it was becoming too much.

So many people told me how much The Spooky Stuff and the Association of Paranormal Study meant to them, so I put pressure on myself to continue cultivating that community. Many finally found a place of belonging in my groups, and I know personally how valuable that is.

Constant Criticism

But, as criticisms of my work came in, it wasn’t helping my mental health. Growing up in the entertainment industry, I’m no stranger to criticism. In fact, I usually welcome it. But there were a select few who constantly criticized my work, and what made it really difficult was that they were friends as well. I valued their opinion. So, when I was getting hit with constant negativity about my content, I took it hard, especially when they never had anything positive to say. I started to wonder whether I was really cut out for this, or if it was time to throw in the towel.

I also got hit with people telling me how to create content, how I need to change my content to better suit their needs, etc. These days, I’m creating content not only for myself, but for the future of paranormal investigators, which mainly consists of the younger generation like teens and college students. In trying to meet them at their level, it means that the style of my content has changed as well. That may not appeal to older generations. In fact, I know it doesn’t because they’ve told me.

I couldn’t continue taking it all in anymore. It was truly exhausting to have multiple people attempt to mold me into what they needed. Remember, I’m offering my content for free, besides book sales. I created APS and The Spooky Stuff because it made me happy.

But it was no longer making me happy. It was making me miserable. It was triggering some really bad anxiety and catastrophizing behavior. I started regressing bad to harmful habits that got me requiring medical intervention. Was it all worth it anymore?

No. It wasn’t.

Making a Decision

I didn’t want to shut it all down…yet. Also, I didn’t want to torch the bridge. I think people forget that content creators are people too. We’re producing content to the best of our ability and to our capacity. Honestly, hats off to the people who investigate regularly, are parents, and continue to produce content. It’s just me, my fiancé, and the cats and I’m barely holding on. I also work a full-time job as well as a part-time job, so that might have something to do with it. Oh, did I mention I’m planning a wedding?

I decided to take a month off from publishing content as well as taking a step back from social media. What was interesting what that I was still creating content. I could only sit on my hands for so long before I was itching to write. But I couldn’t go back to the vicious cycle that I was used to. No. I wouldn’t even survive a week if something didn’t change. I had to make a decision.

When I returned in September, I had to start creating distance between myself and my followers. I had always took pride in the fact that I engaged with everyone and gave them a voice. But, I had to start setting some pretty hard boundaries as well as just ignoring people who were no longer a positive presence in my online life.

Exhausted by the Living

Truly, it wasn’t the ghosts or the stories that I was tired of; it was living people. From people commenting on my articles without reading them, to the criticism, to just plain meanness…I couldn’t take it anymore from the living. But I can’t let that affect what I love…at least not anymore.

At the end of the day, I still love the paranormal. I love ghost stories, I love investigating, and I love reading about how the paranormal has shaped us as a society. All of this is still so fascinating to me.

Personal Responsibility

Finally, another source of my burnout was…me. I wasn’t satisfied with the direction that my paranormal journey was taking me. It wasn’t anyone else’s fault but my own. My team is fabulous but I was doing a terrible job at steering the ship. Essentially, I was letting my burnout, my fear of falling outs, and just my anxiety-filled existence keep me from the very reason I fell in love with the paranormal.

Moving Forward

I have to build up my self-awareness and know the signs of future burnouts. I’ve started recognizing those negative feelings. Once I start encountering those feelings again, I know it’s time to take a step back and take a break. However, I also know that I also need to wait 24 hours before I respond to something. Is it a perfect plan? Definitely not. But I have to change something. Otherwise, I’ll continue to repeat this vicious cycle until I’m merely a shell.

Tips for Dealing with Paranormal Burnout

This list isn’t perfect, but it definitely helped me in dealing with my paranormal burnout.

  • Research the signs of burn out and assess whether there’s too much stress in your life
  • Take a break
  • Step away from social media
  • Do something different for a while (theatre, knitting, reading, skateboarding, hiking, etc.)
  • Journal every day
  • Go back to the things that make you happy
  • Learn how to identify the negative feelings
  • Wait 24 hours before responding to negativity
  • Sort through why you became burnt out
  • Create a list of action items you can do to prevent burnout
  • Go back to your roots as to why you fell in love with the paranormal
  • Set boundaries and enforce them
  • Know that not every person deserves a response from you
  • Sleep…get as much sleep as you can
  • Don’t feel ashamed of taking a break
  • Decide whether you’re really burned out or just done.
  • Prioritize YOU
  • Forgive yourself
  • Listen to your needs and meet your needs
  • Talk to a therapist

What are your tips for dealing with paranormal burnout?

Has COVID-19 Caused More Hauntings?

Alex Matsuo

There’s something we should talk about. It’s been the elephant in the room for a while. It’s changed our entire lives and turned the world upside down. I’m talking about COVID-19. Coronavirus.

It’s maddening to think how much our lives have changed since this virus invaded our world. And there’s something that people are hesitant to talk about. But, it’s important. Sometimes, we want to wait before we talk about these difficult things. This is because we want to give the living enough time to grieve and process, and we want to basically respect a boundary.

Yet, the news has seemed to beat us to these tough conversations. For this blog, I’m straying away from the spooky stories from the past and let’s talk about what’s happening now and how to process it. Let’s dive into it head on. This is spooky, but I’m going to keep this respectful. The intention is to have a conversation about this, so please feel free to leave comments and share your thoughts.

Noticing Spirits More

So, when COVID-19 hit the United States, we went into lockdown.  The entire world went into lockdown. We found ourselves in our homes way more often than we’re used to.

Now, this wasn’t a dramatic change for some because they are homebound. But for the general population, this was a completely new way of existing and living for the sake of staying safe. After the lockdowns were enforced, the New York Times released an article of how more people were reporting that their houses were haunted.

I even released a blog last year about how to survive quarantine with a ghost because I was getting an uptick in questions and case submissions. Of course, because of COVID, my team and I had to push the pause button on our residential cases. But, I was doing Zoom calls and consultations with folks who felt like they had a ghost in their house.

Language of the House

Given that people found themselves home much more than usual, I wasn’t surprised that this was happening. In fact, when we do residential cases and our clients consist of a married couple, the spouse that’s home the most is usually the one reporting the activity. Conventionally, this is usually the stay-at-home wife and mom. The husband will be there for moral support, but he doesn’t believe it as much because he’s not home to experience it.

And with the lockdowns, all of a sudden, people were home all the time. But there’s two sides to this. This is my skeptical-side talking. If someone hasn’t been home much since moving in, they might not be that familiar with everything in their home. Meaning, they might not know that a truck drives back Monday through Friday three streets over that causes the cabinets to open and shut.

They’re being forced to get to know all the sounds and movements their house makes. And if they didn’t know that’s what their house does, then it’s no surprise that they may interpret that as paranormal.

Then, talking from my believer side, I can totally see this happening. Like, the ghost in your house is able to relax and expel energy while you’re gone. But now that you’re home all the time, you and the ghost have to find a way to co-exist.

Lack of Closure

So, this is one side of the paranormal during the COVID-19 pandemic. This next part is a bit more sad.

Over 600,000 people in the United States have died from COVID-19 at the time of this video. Worldwide, almost 4 million have died. The deaths surrounding COVID-19 are exceptionally sad because when the dying were in the hospital, they more than likely died alone. They weren’t able to be with their families as they died.

This very much reminds me of the soldiers and families that died during the Civil War, or any war for that matter. Lack of closure, the inability to say goodbye. It’s no coincidence that certain periods of time, like war, are tied to more hauntings than just the average chapter in history.

I feel like, like the plague or the Spanish Flu, illnesses that have a lot of paranormal lore tied to them, we will continue to see reports of people interacting with the ghosts of their loved ones who died from COVID-19. And it seems, because of this lack of closure, is it possible that spirits of our loved ones are trying harder to make contact with us?

Saying Goodbye

In June 2021, CNN’s John Blake released an article titled, “They lost their loved ones to Covid. Then they heard from them again.” Last fall, Ian Horne lost his wife Michelle, who died from complications of COVID-19. Of course, losing a spouse is devastating, especially when they’re young.

So, Ian, who works as a radio DJ, was driving to work. It was pre-dawn, early in the morning, so it was dark. As he was driving, he noticed that about two dozen streetlights on his route turned purple. Which is weird. Especially since Michelle’s favorite color was purple. When Ian contacted the city about the lights, they attributed it to a defective batch.

The article also tells the story of Jamie Jackson, who lost her “Aunt Pat”, who died from complications of COVID-19. She had a heart attack. The hardest part for Jamie is that she couldn’t be physically present with her aunt while she was dying.

About seven months after her Aunt Pat’s death, it was Christmas time and Jamie was using her Aunt’s decorations. She left her bin of decorations in the hallway, and went to get something.

When Jamie came back, she saw a translucent figure looking in the bin. The figure was the same height, had the same haircut, and wearing the same clothes her aunt would wear. Jamie freaks out and runs to her dining room to calm herself down. When she went back into the hallway, the figure was gone.

Choosing Our Form

One more story. Marie Pina was living in Manitoba, Canada teaching English as a second language when the COVID-19 outbreak started.

Her 79-year old mother had been in the hospital and she was just about to be released when she tested positive for COVID. Her mother, Inez, was put in isolation. About a month later, her mother was sent home, but she became significantly weaker. Her mother died about four months later.

On the morning of her mother’s death, Marie was reaching for her slippers when she felt her mother touch her shoulder. According to Marie, she saw her mother when she looked up. Her mother was about 20 years younger and was just looking straight ahead. Then, a little bit later, Marie was making her mom’s favorite soup when she smelled her mother’s perfume.

I have a feeling that these three stories aren’t the only ones we’ll see in the future.

6 Times the Paranormal Made It to Court

Alex Matsuo

Can you put a ghost on trial? Apparently, you can! It’s always really interesting when the paranormal makes its way to the courtroom. Considering that we can’t really prove that the paranormal exists in the first place, it’s always compelling when a judge allows a supernatural-based testimony to come through. But one has to wonder, if the paranormal can be allowed in testimony and opening/closing arguments, could a lawyer be arguing for a case of insanity? Or could the paranormal be used to show that a witness can’t be trusted?

In this article, we’ll explore six court cases that involved paranormal incidents and testimonies. As you read, think about whether you would believe these witnesses if you were part of the jury. If you don’t feel like reading, check out the video below!

Jury Uses a Ouija Board

This first one is wild. Jurors used a Ouija board to help determine whether or not someone was guilty. In 1994 in the UK, a man named Stephen Young was arrested for the murder of Harry and Nicola Fuller. 

Nicola had been shot three times and Harry had been shot in close range. It was truly a gruesome crime that shocked the community. Stephen Young’s trial lasted for five weeks, and he was ultimately found guilty. But about a month after the trial, a newspaper headline was released that said, “Murder Jury’s Ouija Board Verdict.”

One of the jury members came forward to the media. They claimed that four people from the jury used a makeshift Ouija board to contact the spirits of Harry and Nicola Fuller. The jury members put their hands on the glass and asked for the spirit of Harry. The glass went to Yes. Another juror asked, “Who killed you?” The glass spelled out “Stephen Young Done It”. When the juror asked how, the glass spelled out, “Shot.” A new trial was ordered, and another five weeks later, Stephen Young was found guilty once again.

The Devil Made Me Do It

I covered this story in greater detail in a previous post, so I’ll keep this brief. In 1981, Arne Cheyenne Johnson was arrested for the murder of his landlord, Alan Bono. Before the murder happened, the little brother of his fiance, David Glatzel, had reportedly been possessed by over 60 demons. Arne told the demons to come into him…meaning that Arne was possessed at the time he murdered Alan Bono. Ed and Lorraine Warren were also involved in the situation. Arne’s lawyer tried to use the argument of possession for the defense, which the judge refused. Arne pleaded not guilty by reason of self-defense. He was found guilty and served five years of his 10-20 year sentence. This story was recently featured in the movie, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It.

Ghostbusters Ruling

When it comes to paranormal cases, this one is the one that created the famous Ghostbusters Ruling. This case is also known as Stambovsky v. Ackley. It’s not uncommon for house sellers to disclose unpleasant information, like whether a murder, suicide, death happened in the house. Some states also require sellers to report whether or not the house is haunted, which is pretty wild. The Ghostbusters Ruling was about a home at 1 LaVeta Place in Nyack, New York. It’s a historic house that was a boarding house turned private residence in the 1900s that was purchased by George and Helen Ackley in the 1960s.

It wasn’t long before the Ackleys started to experience paranormal activity. Helen even wrote a piece about it called “Our Haunted House on the Hudson.” The piece was featured in the May 1977 issue of Reader’s Digest. The Ackleys believed the house was haunted by a ghost named Sir George, who lived in the area in the 1700s. George Ackley passed away, and Helen wanted to retire in Florida. She put the house up for sale, and a man named Jeffrey Stambovsky bought the house. But once Stambovsky found out about the alleged haunting, he filed an action requesting rescission of the contract of sale for damages for fraudulent misrepresentation. Initially, the case was dismissed. But he appealed, and he won. Did I mention that he never moved in?

Helen Ackley sold the house to someone else, and she moved to Florida and passed away in 1991. Her son-in-law believes that she now haunts the house.

Florida Ghost Lease

This next case took place in Orlando, Florida in 2005 when a building owner filed a lawsuit against one of his renters because they refused to pay rent. The restauranteurs had refused to move in and claim they couldn’t honor their lease because the property was haunted. Christopher and Yoko Chung, who were also Jehovah’s Witnesses, claimed that there were ghostly apparitions and because of their religious beliefs couldn’t fulfill the obligations to their lease. The building itself has had a history of ghosts, and paranormal experts believe that the ghosts are those of children who were kids of prostitutes who were killed. I wasn’t able to find what happened with the ruling, but if their lawyer cited the Ghostbusters Ruling, I bet they might have won.

Haunted Ohio Farm

This next case is crazy because it means that even writing about a haunted location can get you sued. The owners of Staley Farm sued the authors of the book, “Weird Ohio”, because their property became overrun by ghost hunters. The farm had been featured in the book because the family patriarch, Old Man Staley, murdered his entire family with an axe.

The ghost story goes that if you drive down Staley Road at night, it will feel like someone else has taken control of your car, horns honking by themselves, and headlights dying. Also, the ghost of Old Man Staley has supposedly been seen in the woods. The plaintiffs claimed that the authors of the book were responsible for the influx of trespassers. However, what saved the authors was the disclaimer at the beginning of the book that says, “The reader should be advised that many of the sites described in Weird Ohio are located on private property and should not be visited, or you may face prosecution for trespassing.”

Gamble’s Ghost

My good friend Michelle Hamilton told me about this story, which actually inspired this video. So thanks, Michelle! Check out her work on Amazon. It’s good stuff. In 1854, in Wetzel County, VA (now WV) Leban Mercer was tried for the murder of John Gamble. Gamble owed Mercer $2 for the purchase of a calf. When they spoke, he only had large bills on him totaling to about $200. Apparently, Gamble and Mercer agreed to meet later. And Mercer was the last person to see Gamble alive.

Gamble’s boat was later seen floating down the river. Mercer returned at 2am that morning all wet and muddy with a bunch of cash in his pocket. Gamble’s body was still missing. One night, a man named John Hindman claimed that Gamble’s ghost appeared to him. The spirit told him that he was murdered by Mercer.  Mercer was acquitted due to lack of sufficient testimony.

18 Queer Paranormal People You Need to Follow

Alex Matsuo3 Comments

Happy Pride! One of the biggest missions of The Spooky Stuff is to feature people from marginalized groups within the paranormal community. There is a vibrant LGBTQIA+ community within the paranormal field that is doing amazing things in terms of research, representation, and fieldwork.

We are lucky in the fact that there are several members of the LGBTQIA+ community on television like Adam Berry, Chip Coffey, and Michelle Belanger. And yet, there is still more work to be done when it comes to representation. Finding someone from the LGBTQIA+ community on mainstream TV seems to be a dime a dozen. Not only that, but paranormal reality shows have all but erased queer history from haunted locations like Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

As one who is pansexual, finding others like myself in the paranormal community has been imperative for me in my personal journey. Finding people who are “like me” has been instrumental in my growth and development as a paranormal investigator. Luckily, I’ve met some incredible people along the way.

The purpose of this list is to inform and educate folks that there is a large LGBTQIA+ presence in the paranormal community that is growing. The numbers on each person is simply that…a number. It’s not a rating system. All of these wonderful people are incredible. With this in mind, here are MANY queer paranormal folx you need follow!

1. Dash Kwiatkowski (They/Them) – @DashKwiatkowski

Dash Kwiatkowski (@DashKwiatkowski) is a non-binary, Asian-American writer, performer, and fledgling paranormal investigator. They’re one-half of the comedic psychic advice podcast Psychic Friendz (@PsychicFriendz), and they’re next door neighbors with the Bridgewater Triangle. They’re PRETTY SURE Bigfoot is an ultraterrestrial, but they’ve been wrong before about plenty. You can find more info about Dash’s projects

2. Mortellus (They/Them) – @acrowandthedead

Mortellus (@acrowandthedead) is a lineaged Third Degree Gardnerian High Priestex of the Long Island Line. Presently busy at work on a second book for Llewellyn Worldwide, with the first, Do I Have To Wear Black? Rituals, Customs & Funerary Etiquette for Modern Pagans, which hit the shelves February 8, 2021. In addition to their role as High Priestex, Lady Mortellus is a Mortician, and holds degrees in Design, Education, Fine Arts, and Mortuary Sciences. Their areas of expertise include necromancy, necrobotany, mediumship, and the funerary rites of minority faith groups. Currently residing in Western North Carolina on three acres that doubles as the Covenstead for the Coven of Leaves with their spouse, adult child, AMAB/AFAB twins, and dog; generally wishing there was more time in the day for hiding in the studio and playing with clay. You can find their work at linktr.ee/acrowandthedead.

3. Robert Murch (He/Him) – @TalkingBoards

Credit: Ali Cotton

Robert Murch (@TalkingBoards) is the world’s foremost collector, historian, and expert on Ouija and Talking Boards and serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Talking Board Historical Society which he founded. His bizarre relationship with Ouija began after watching Kevin Tenney’s Witchboard in 1986, a century after the talking board made its debut. Murch purchased his first antique Ouija board in 1992 and became obsessed with unraveling the mystery of its origins. Since then, he’s devoted his life to researching the history of the Ouija board and its founders, with Murch often traveling the world to track down descendants of all those involved with the introduction of the mystifying oracle. Ever the pioneer, Murch was one of the first same-sex couples legally married in the United States and lives with his husband, Gary Halteman, in Denver, Colorado.

4. Hannah A. (She/Her) – @SpookyAhBoo

Hannah A. is a paranormal investigator, blogger, and traveler (@SpookyAhBoo on Instagram). While growing up, she was hooked on watching all of the ghost and unexplained mystery shows on TV that she could find which furthered her love for all things spooky! While she believes in the paranormal, she also tries to debunk anything and everything to ensure the evidence is genuine. She has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, and this has also helped mold her interest on researching and learning how to view things in the anthropological view.

Her current project is co-writing a weekly paranormal travel blog called Ghouls Trip (@GhoulsTripBlog), where she and her friend Ivy (@TattoosAndSpooks on Instagram) write about haunted locations all over America; they also upload investigations and other spooky videos to their YouTube channel! By using these social media platforms, Hannah hopes to bring more female paranormal investigators into the scene and find further proof of the afterlife!

5. Ron Padrón (He/Him/His) – @WRWitching

Ron Padrón (@WRWitching) is a gay Cuban-American folk witch from the swamps of Florida now living in the mid-Atlantic with his husband and their small cryptid dog. He has been a member the pagan community for nearly two decades with specific interests in divination, Queer Ancestor veneration and necromancy, hedge witchery, and social justice activism. Ron is the creator of White Rose Witching through which he manages a blog sharing Queer Ancestor Spotlights and rituals, and hosts workshops across a variety of topics. He has been a contributor to CoffeeTable Coven magazine sharing reflections on the politics of colonial witchcraft and examples of his personal practice of queer ancestor veneration. Ron has also presented locally at Hallowed Homecoming and as a guest speaker for local pagan groups, historic sites, and small museums. Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/whiterosewitching, on Instagram @white.rose.witching, and on Twitter @WRWitching.

6. Rockette Fox (She/Her) – @RocketteFox

Biracial Korean-American storyteller, performer, artist, creator, speaker and wearer of varied hats, Rockette Fox (@RocketteFox) is a bi-furious, queer, witchy woman who embraces the strange in the pursuit of the peculiar in her work. She believes in the power of stories and connection, and is passionate about creating inclusive spaces where diverse voices and perspectives can be represented, expressed, and shared. She has spoken nationally on topics such as Geek Feminism, diversity & representation in media, and Villainesses for over seven years and has hosted/emceed, taught, and spoken at storytelling events for five. Her illustrative work, odd makeup, and podcast Fantastically Strange have captured the imagination of those who share in her love of magic through the authenticity of expression and believe in nurturing radical self-love and expression.

7. Caden Mask (He/Him)

Caden Mask is an investigator and researcher of all things supernatural. He and his wife established Southern Ascension in 2019 after many years learning under various mentors with different practices. Just this year, Caden became a part of Phantoms and Monsters research team under the mentorship of Lon Stricklin, Butch Witkowski, and others for cryptid research.

Knowing all to well the impact dealing with malevolence beings, as well as past trauma making a person vulnerable to such things, Caden sought out to become an addiction counselor; and works side by side with licensed therapist, nurses, churches, and healers to make sure clients are well taken care of. He and his wife always offer their services (rather mediumship, drug, or supernatural related) free of charge. They also added a northern chapter, Northern Ascension, in 2020 to further their practice and share the knowledge they were taught.

Residing in Mississippi, Caden and his wife enjoy a simple, country way of life with their son. Currently, taking a hiatus for moving and taking care of a sick family member, Caden hopes they will be able to return to full capacity by summer’s end.

8. Ghosting Joey (She/They) – @ghostingJoey

Joey is a paranormal investigator who travels and explores all over the world. They have over 11 years experience investigating the paranormal, and have investigated the most haunted places in America (Eastern State Penitentiary, Sallie House, etc.) Since publishing their journey on YouTube, she has been featured on “Paranormal Caught on Camera” twice. Their long term goal is to inspire others research, and to develop more theory based technology, to further evidence of the paranormal. You can find Joey on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok at @ghostingJoey.

9. Kyle Dempster (He/Him) – @KyleParanormal

Kyle Dempster (@KyleParanormal) started the Revelator Podcast Network in 2020 when he became unemployed due to the COVID pandemic. He has been working as a full-time broadcaster and podcaster in years prior, so with the hardware and knowledge, he set to task building a platform for his listeners to interact with their favorite podcasts and hosts! Creating a grouping of podcasts was always Kyle’s dream, so it is thanks to you, fellow weirdos, that we’ve been so successful at it! As for why the paranormal? Kyle grew up in a haunted house built in the 1800s in Western Pennsylvania. Pennsyltucky has a history for being notoriously haunted from French & Indian War battlefields to plague body dumps, the area introduced him to things that go bump in the night the hard way.

10. Brittany “Pagan” Adkins (She/Her) – @Paganwolf_13

Brittany “Pagan” Adkins (@Paganwolf_13) is an artist, author, paranormal podcaster and investigator, Norse pagan and hedgewitch, and occult researcher. Pagan’s exploration of the world of the paranormal led her to work with her co-host Kyle Dempster on the paranormal podcast, Chaos and Shadow. Together they explore all things under the universal umbrella of high strangeness, including ghosts, ultra/extraterrestrials, cryptids, fae, elementals, and more! Pagan also hosts her own podcast, Pagan’s Witchy Corner, exploring topics in witchcraft and the occult! You can join her for exploration through the world of witchcraft and the occult, guided meditations, and guided spell work. Her show is part of the Revelator Podcast Network like Chaos and Shadow. She lives on a farm with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. 

11. Michael Johnson (He/Him) – @glowingghostparanormal

Michael is a paranormal investigator and content creator who has attracted attention on social media for his content that’s not only fun, but educational! He is also very passionate about representation in the field. You can follow Michael on YouTube as well as TikTok and Instagram at glowingghostparanormal.

12. Nathan Gardner (He/Him) – @nategardner

Nathan (@nategardner) has spent most of his adult life touring North America on various Broadway shows, and has taken that opportunity to investigate paranormal hot spots from coast to coast, from popular locations to lesser known haunts and everywhere in between. Some of his favorite locations include the Queen Mary, Lemp Mansion, Hill House Manor, and the Stanley Hotel, all of which have provided incredible experiences and evidence. Nathan is currently working with Lumos Films in California, developing a new paranormal-themed travel series entitled Ghostly Getaways, which goes into production in summer of 2021, and also writing a book under the same title. 

13. Shane McClelland (He/Him) – @McClellandShane

Shane McClelland (@McClellandShane) is the voice behind the hit podcast, The Q Files, that he cohosts with Lori Gum. Previously, Shane was seen on the YouTube series, Queer Ghost Hunters. Shane was also the co-founder of Stonewall Columbus Queer Ghost Hunters and runs the page Queer Paranormal on Facebook. His work is especially inspiring as Shane has become an advocate for exploring ALL the stories in haunted locations. Shane’s advocacy in creating a space for communicating with queer spirits has been monumental for paranormal teams across the country.

14. Ken Summers (He/Him) – @moonspenders

Ken Summers (@moonspenders) is a paranormal researcher, history aficionado, part-time traveler, variegated artist, and purveyor of strange tales and forgotten hauntings. The ever-apologetic creator of the “orb color chart,” he has always endeavored to balance open-minded fascination and humor with logical questioning in the pursuit of truth. Unlike many self-described experts in the field, he isn’t afraid to admit that he doesn’t have all the answers, and where others argue over the existence of ghosts, UFOs, Sasquatch, and other mysteries, Ken sees the true value of supernatural stories as a means of keeping interesting, forgotten history alive.

Ken has long been fascinated by the most obscure, forgotten, and unusual stories and incidents related to the paranormal. That quest for the strangest of the strange developed into a blog series of “Queer Paranormal Road Trips” in 2008. This questioning of the sexualities of specters led to his last book, Queer Hauntings: True Tales of Gay and Lesbian Ghosts, published in 2009. Currently, he’s busily at work researching for a follow-up book, once again delving into the mysterious realm where ‘weird’ and ‘queer’ blur together. Whenever possible, Ken puts his vast knowledge of “useless information” to use in the form of tours, lectures, or writing. Some of his work can be found on Week in Weird. He was also editor and a contributor for Haunted Akron.

15. Rob Gutro (He/Him) – @RobGutroAuthor

Rob Gutro (@RobGutroAuthor) is an author, paranormal investigator and medium with Inspired Ghost Tracking of Maryland. He’s become known as a pet medium, although he communicate with pets and people who have passed. Since he was a child he could receive messages from ghosts or spirits (who have crossed over). His latest book is “”Pets and the Afterlife 3: Dog Spirit Signs.”

He wrote the books “Pets and the Afterlife,” “Pets and the Afterlife 2,” “Ghosts and Spirits,” “Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead” to teach others how ghosts and Spirits communicate with the living and to give proof of the afterlife. Rob also wrote about the ghosts he met on vacation in “Ghosts of England on a Medium’s Vacation,” “Kindred Spirits: How a Medium Befriended a Spirit,” and “Case Files of Inspired Ghost Tracking.” As a scientist, he also provides some scientific explanations about how energy is the baseline for the afterlife and the medium that entities use to communicate.

16. Kay Gray (She/Her) – @kgraywrites

Kay (@kgraywrites) has been researching the paranormal for over twenty years, beginning in the early 90’s when her mother watched Sightings and The X-Files every week. Her favorite cryptid is the Mothman, despite her fear of moths. She currently resides in SE Michigan with her very understanding husband, dog, and cat. She hosts the podcast, Haunted Mitten, with Crysta Coburn.

17. Crysta Coburn (She/They) – @CrystaKCoburn

Crysta Coburn (@CrystaKCoburn) have been fascinated by all things strange and unusual from a very young age, when they had their first encounter with a shadow being. For five years, they worked as a book-buyer for a metaphysical bookstore and now work part-time for a public library. They are no stranger to research or a well-constructed story. Crysta is also a freelance journalist, author, editor, and podcaster. They co-host the paranormal podcast Haunted Mitten with Kay Gray. Find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @CrystaKCoburn. Their web address is crystakcoburn.blogspot.com

18. Dusty Doors Paranormal

Dusty Doors Paranormal began its spiritual Journey way back in 2016. They are comprised of primarily of 5 team members, of whom 4 are a part of the LGBT community.

  • Michelle Cromar – Owner / Team Leader / Lead Investigator / Spiritualist.
  • Nicholas Jensen – Lead Investigator / Pagan / Energy Worker.
  • Tristan Ohl – Jensen – Investigator / Pagan / Indigenous Australian (Taribelang Decent).
  • Haylee O’Hara – Investigator / Spiritualist / Empath.
  • Tracey Clarke – Investigator / Witchcraft / Medium.

Michelle, Nick, Haylee, and Tristan are all “out of the closet” LGBT community members, whilst their fabulous Tracey is married with 3 children. Tracey is the Mother of our group HAHA.

Down here in Australia, they have never encountered any other full open Gay and Lesbian Paranormal Teams. They are aware of teams with many bisexual persons and possibly one person being gay or lesbian but that is about it. Dusty Doors team members have been friends for 5 to 10 years, if not longer. It was not until they grew up and slowed down partying and being responsible adults did they learn of each other’s uniqueness, gifts, and passion towards everything paranormal and spiritual.

Their team has a mixed bag of gifts that sets them apart from others. Nick and Tristan are married, whilst Haylee and Michelle are best friends and Tracey is an incredibly good friend of Michelle’s and her former Boss HAHA. They all together have well over 20 years’ experience within the paranormal field. Dusty Doors Paranormal likes to encompass new techniques with tech and gadgets, but also really love old school methods and incorporating different beliefs and using metaphysical methods as well. They bring a class of Australian country humour and seriousness into our investigations. Like Paul Hogan really!!

They do investigations in cemeteries, historical buildings, caves…. pretty much wherever they can get permission to investigate. Also, they study their indigenous culture and respect their indigenous elders and ancestors of this land. They were doing tours for the general public every weekend, however, Covid stopped them in thier tracks. They hope to possibly be doing tours again soon.

Currently, the team is in the middle of discussions, regarding whether to start their own mini-series for their Facebook page followers to sit back and watch them in action, bloopers an all. Also, Michelle is currently sourcing new adventures for them for tours. The team wants to bring back the mysteries of the paranormal. To do this, they are seeking several ways to present this idea. These include overnight campouts at a haunted location, surprise tours where guests have dinner first then they all hope in a bus and arrive at a haunted location. Just to name a few!!

The team loves to incorporate the factual history with their investigations, along with physical evidence of reports, death records, etc. from the actual location to raise the bar of awareness to their participants. Dusty Doors Paranormal also conducts psychological experiments as well to make their experience a little more personal and enjoyable.

Thanks for reading! If there is anyone I missed, please let me know. I would like to do these spotlights more often and help create bridges between groups and communities.

The Reality Behind ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Do It’

Alex Matsuo

Ed and Lorraine Warren were some of the most famous paranormal investigators of their time. Their legacy and career have now been preserved in film format with the “The Conjuring” series. While the Warrens are well known, their careers are controversial. Yes, the movies are entertaining, but are they true? Let’s take a deeper dive into the true story behind “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.”

“Based on a True Story”

Truth time: The Conjuring movies are some of my favorite horror movies.  What makes them exceptionally compelling is that they’re “based on a true story.”

Why the quotation marks? Movies that are “based on a true story” are usually LOOSELY based on a true story. Producers and screenwriters often have to take artistic liberties in order to make the story more interesting.

For example, in “The Conjuring 2”, the movie was centered around how Ed and Lorraine Warren helped the Hodgson family with what is now called the Enfield Poltergeist. But Ed and Lorraine weren’t the only investigators working on the case.Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair from the Society of Psychical Research were actually the main investigators. 

In fact, according to Maurice Grosse, Ed and Lorraine showed up for a very short time.Ed apparently pulled Grosse aside and said he could make a lot of money off the case, and Ed was sent away. There’s a lot more to the story, maybe I’ll tell you more in the future.

With this in mind, we should expect some things to be exaggerated with movies that are “based on a true story.” What’s the true story behind the murder trial that became known as the “Devil Made Me Do It” case? Let’s find out.

First, a disclaimer: Spoiler Alert! If you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading right now. I’ll break down some of the more obvious differences between the movie and real-life, and then take a deeper dive into the actual story.

The Town of Brookfield

Before we can talk about the murder trial, we have to start at the beginning. This all started in a small town called Brookfield, Connecticut. It was a sleepy little town with not much going on. In  fact, until “The Devil Made Me Do It” case, there hadn’t even been a murder. The town is located northeast of New York City, and is technically part of the New York Metropolitan area. The town was established in 1788. So, not much was going on.

David Glatzel Was 11-Years Old

Warner Bros.

One of the most notable changes I saw in the movie was that they made David Glatzel younger. Of course, it’s more disturbing to see a young child get possessed by a demon. The choice obviously made David seem more innocent and more baby-like, which is meant to tug at our heartstrings. In real life, David was 11-years old.

Arne and Debbie Lived with Arne’s Family

Arne and Debbie actually lived with Arne’s mom and siblings. At the time, Arne’s mother was gravely ill with cancer. The couple were the main providers for Arne’s family and they were looking for a larger place to live to accommodate everyone.

Debbie Was Older Than Arne

Not that age is a big deal, but it’s worth it to take a look. Debbie was 26-years old and had been previously married and had a child from that marriage. Arne was 18-years old. For the time, an older woman living with a younger guy raised some eyebrows. When the couple first met, Arne was only 12-years old, which would have made Debbie around 20-years old.

Arne and Debbie Were Already Engaged

In the movie, Arne is about to ask Debbie to marry him, and even David is asking him when he’ll pop the question. In real life, the couple were already engaged by the time David was possessed.

David Met the Demon Somewhere Else

The movie makes it look like David became possessed in the Glatzel family home when everyone moved in. What is true is that the former tenants did leave a waterbed in the house. But the house that was the site where David met the demon was a different house. In July 1980, Arne and Debbie had just acquired rental property, and they went over to start cleaning it. 

David said that when they arrived on the property, there was an old man that started terrorizing him and pushing him. Initially, Arne and Debbie thought that David made up the story to avoid cleaning. But then David said that the old man promised to harm the Glatzel family if they moved into the rental.  The rental itself didn’t give Arne or Debbie much concern besides hearing footsteps above them.

What is troubling is when David saw the old man again, he had beast-like features, was uttering Latin, and threatened to steal his soul. But soon after, David started having night terrors, he had unexplained scratches and bruises, and he was starting to act strange.

There Was No Curse

One important detail to note is that there was no curse involved in “The Devil Made Me Do It” case. There were no occultists, there were no Disciples of the Ram, none of that is true. This was all created for the sake of the movie. If there is anything I want readers to get out of this blog, it’s that there was no curse…at all. However, the Warrens believed that the previous tenants of the house in question were into witchcraft and opened a door to the demonic and left it there when they moved. When David came into the house, he was the first to encounter the demon from the open portal.

David’s Behavior Was More Disturbing

Whatever had tormented David at the rental property followed him home. The Glatzel family decided to call a Catholic priest to bless the house. I know…it’s the 80s…mental health care back then isn’t what it is today. Anyway, the priest came to bless the house, but it didn’t work. The family told Debbie and Arne that their rental home was evil.

But the old man, now known as the Beast, followed them. David’s visions and odd behavior started happening in the day time as well. According to the Glatzels, David was being choked and beaten by unseen forces. 

David started hissing, growling, and reciting passages from the Bible and John Milton’s Paradise Lost. He was also speaking in other voices. Members of the family had to start taking shifts during the night to watch David because he would have spasms and convulsions. Debbie and Arne moved in with the family to help them with David.

About 12 days after the original incident, the family or a man named Father Dennis called Ed and Lorraine Warren to investigate. So the Warrens came into the scene, and learned the Glatzels story, they concluded that he was possessed by multiple demons. Ed concluded that about 63 demons had possessed David.

David Predicted the Murder

According to my research, David went through three exorcisms. Lorraine said that David levitated in the air, and even demonstrated precognition abilities and predicted the murder that Arne Johnson would commit.

During one of David’s exorcisms, Arne apparently coerced one of the demons to possess him. He told the demon to “Leave his little buddy alone.” At this point too, Arne was working all day and staying with the Glatzels and helping them with David.

When the story was covered by the show, “A Haunting”, Arne said that one of the demons attacked him by taking control of his car and running it into a tree.This happened a few days after Arne coerced the demon to possess him.

After the car accident, Arne went back to the old rental property and examined the well that supposedly housed the demon. Arne made eye contact with the demon in the well, and apparently became full on possessed. This was also Arne’s last completely lucid moment before the murder.

The Warrens were not happy with this and apparently even warned Arne to not make eye contact with the demon. In the midst of all this, David wasn’t getting better. In October of 1980, the Warrens contacted the Brookfield police and told them the situation was getting dangerous. 

Bruno Salls’ is Alan Bono in Real Life

Arne and Debbie decided it was time to move out of her mother’s house and into their own place. Debbie got a job at a dog groomer, which was owned by Alan Bono. He would also be Arne and Debbie’s landlord. Debbie and Arne got an apartment above her work. It didn’t take long for Debbie to notice that Arne was showing the same behavior as David.

Arne would also growl and hiss, go into a trance-like state, and then have no memory of it. So Debbie is thinking, “Crap, my man is possessed too.”

Multiple People Witnessed the Murder

Arne Johnson’s mother stands next to Lorraine Warren

On February 16, 1981, Arne called out sick from work. He was having stomach issues and not feeling well. He joined Debbie at the dog groomer, the kennel, with his sister Wanda and Debbie’s 9-year old cousin.

Alan Bono took the group to lunch, and he started drinking quite heavily. He insisted that Arne and Debbie drink too. After lunch, the group went to a pet shop to get supplies, and then went back to the kennel. Arne went up to the apartment to lay down.

Judy Glatzel, David’s and Debbie’s mom, called Debbie and told her something was wrong and to get to her house immediately.

Alan Bono was at the kennel and was still drinking. Debbie couldn’t leave work right away but assured she would take everyone over for dinner. But Bono wanted the group to stay for dinner.

Here’s where details get fuzzy. So Debbie took Mary and Wanda to get pizza, but she said she would be back quickly. It seemed that Debbie was sensing that something wasn’t right. When the girls got back from pizza, Bono was completely drunk and intoxicated at this point. Debbie wanted Bono to pass out in his apartment, so they set up the pizza in his kitchen.

The Murder Happened Outside

As Arne, Debbie, and the rest of the crew were getting ready to eat, Bono had become belligerent. The group was trying to leave and Bono wouldn’t let them leave. Debbie told everyone to leave the room.

But Bono was able to grab Mary and wouldn’t let her go. Arne ran into the room and told Bono to let Mary go. Mary gets away and runs to the car. At this point, this debacle had made its way outside of the kennel.

It was reported that Arne had two voices coming out of him, and at this point, he was no longer Arne. Wanda is trying to pull Arne away from Bono as Debbie is standing in the middle to try to mitigate the situation. 

Arne gets out a 5-inch pocket knife and stabs Alan Bono in the chest. Bono died a few hours later in the hospital. Arne managed to get away and was found about two miles away. Supposedly, Debbie and Wanda didn’t actually see Arne stab Bono.

Lorraine Contacted the Police the Day After the Murder

This was the first murder to happen in Brookfield, Connecticut. So, the day after the murder, Lorraine Warren contacts the police and tells them that this isn’t Arne’s fault.

She said that Arne was possessed at the time he committed the murder. The Warrens also fueled the media frenzy that surrounded this case. Even the agents for the Warrens promised movie deals, books, and interviews would soon follow. Basically, it became a media circus, thanks to the Warrens.

Arne’s Lawyer Wasn’t Allowed to Use the Demon Defense

The trial started October 28, 1981. Arne’s lawyer, Martin Minnella, decided to run with this possession idea. Minnella was getting calls from all over the world about this case.

He even went to England to talk to two lawyers who had similar cases, even though they didn’t go to trial. He also wanted to fly in exorcism specialists and even subpoena the priests who oversaw David’s exorcism. Arne entered a plea of not guilty by reason of demonic possession.

The judge, Robert Callaham, rejected Arne’s plea and defense, so his possession could not even be a factor in this trial. Callahan said that there’s no way that this defense could even be used because there’s no way to scientifically prove it and there was no evidence to support it. So, Minnella decided to say that Arne acted in self-defense.

The jury deliberated over three days for 15 hours, and Arne was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter on November 24, 1981. He was sentenced to 10-20 years in prison. Arne got himself out of prison thanks to his good behavior and being a model prisoner. He got his GED, took college classes, and he took the time to get his life together.  Arne married Debbie in 1984, and they remained married until her recent death from cancer.

But he only served five years. So, what happened to the demon that was possessing Arne?

The Demon Continued to Haunt Arne & David After

In Gerald Brittle’s book, “The Devil in Connecticut” he said that the Diocese in Canada intervened and did a proper exorcism on Arne.  I guess the priests that oversaw David’s exorcism didn’t do a thorough job. According to Brittle, the demon still haunted David and Arne. He alleges that the demon haunted Arne while he was in prison.

There Was a Lawsuit Years Later

When “The Devil in Connecticut” was republished in 2006, David Glatzel and his brother Carl, Jr. sued Brittle and the publishers for invasion of privacy, libel, and “intentional afflictions of emotional distress.”

Carl claims that David was mentally ill at the time.  Also, David’s father, Carl, Sr. claimed that he never said his son was possessed. Psychiatrists looking at David’s case at the time also said he wasn’t possessed, but instead, had a learning disability.

He also said that Ed and Lorraine Warren made up the story to exploit his family and profit from their pain and suffering. Here’s what’s really messed up, if it’s true. Carl also claims that the Warrens told the family that if they went along with this, they would make a ton of money. 

Lorraine stuck to her story and said that she, Ed, and six other priests agree that David was possessed. However, while the Diocese of Connecticut confirmed they were helping David through a difficult time, they did not confirm any exorcisms or anything about possession.

Carl said that the media circus, the books, the made-for-TV movie forced him to drop out of school, he lost friends and business opportunities. The book, “The Devil in Connecticut” also made him look like the bad guy. Gerald Brittle claims that he wrote the book because the family wanted the story told and was based on claims made by the Warrens. To this day, Carl claims the whole thing was a hoax.

Moving Forward

Arne Cheyenne Johnson on “A Haunting”, Episode: “Where Demons Dwell”

According to a few different sources, Debbie Glatzel was involved with the filming of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It before her recent death. Arne and Debbie had other media opportunities after the court case. A made-for-TV movie called, “The Demon Murder Case”, starred Kevin Bacon as Arne. As mentioned earlier, the couple was also featured on an episode of “A Haunting” in the episode, “Where Demons Dwell.”

To put it bluntly, this is an incredible story with lots of layers.

Sources

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/25/nyregion/the-region-man-is-convicted-in-friend-s-death.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20080829012011/http://www.mmdnewswire.com/brors-sue-world-fmous-psychic-lorrine-wrren-for-flse-ccustis-in-devil-book-2347-2.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/23/nyregion/defendant-in-a-murder-puts-the-devil-on-trial.html

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-250-arne-johnson-20140412-story.html

https://apnews.com/article/c758c33ba4756f757e1dfec4f0abd39e

https://books.google.com/books?id=VsmvAAAACAAJ

https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a36529802/conjuring-3-true-story-arne-johnson-now/

11 Tips on How to Buy a Haunted Doll

Alex Matsuo

Since acquiring Madison, I get hit with this question on a daily basis. It’s safe to say that 80% of my inboxes are asking me this question; how does one buy a haunted doll? First, I want to add a disclaimer and mention that I don’t really recommend that you buy a haunted doll. This is because if you decide to move forward with the decision, and you end up having a negative experience, I don’t want you to come back to me and say I gave you bad advice. So, no…don’t buy a haunted doll.

But if you’re insistent, I want to present to you some important tips that will make your haunted doll purchase smooth and pleasant. These are tips I’ve made up for myself as I go through the process of purchasing my second haunted doll. I also picked the brains of my friends who own multiple haunted items (and bought them intentionally).

1. Ask Yourself Why

The first thing you need to ask yourself is why you want to get a haunted doll in the first place. Is it for experimentation? Is it for research? Do you want to be entertained? Are you looking to get scared? Are you trying to get more likes and views on social media? Considering that you’re inviting someone or something in to live with you in your space, you need to work out exactly why you want to buy a haunted doll. Really look deep inside you and ask yourself if you’re ready to take on this responsibility.

2. Talk to the People You Live With

If you don’t live alone, you should talk to the people you live with before you purchase your haunted doll. Consider the fact that everyone in your household might be affected by this purchase, and you want to make sure that everyone in comfortable. You don’t want your mom, your roommate, or your significant other to be fearful of their space, even if the doll is haunted by a friendly spirit.

3. Look at Places Where You Buy Used Things

I found Madison on eBay. But I know other people have had success looking at flea markets, garage sales, Poshmark, estate sales, and even Facebook Marketplace. I have a friend who found her haunted doll from Goodwill. To be fair, she wasn’t looking for a haunted doll. She likes to collect vintage things and is well aware that some of these objects might have some attachments. I don’t know how often people are using Craigslist these days, but it might be worth looking into. Anywhere you can find used things is a good place to start.

4. Read the Description & Ask Questions

Approach buying a haunted doll the same way you would vet a new roommate or a potential date. I know it sounds weird, but buying a haunted doll is no different from online dating. You’re looking for someone that you will get along with, and you have similar interests. Or, if you’re looking for a haunted doll that’s the complete opposite of your personality, you will want to look at the description. You’ll want to look for buzzwords like, “positive spirit” or “negative spirit” or “negative entity.” Depending on what kind of haunting you’re looking for, you’ll find it in the description. Also, ask questions to the seller and ask why they think the doll is haunted, how they know it’s haunted, etc.

5. Take Notes & Record

From the moment you decide to buy your haunted doll, start taking notes as soon as you click on “Checkout.” If you want, buy a notebook just for your haunted doll adventure. Make notes on the type of activity is in the description. From the moment your doll arrives, take notes on its condition, what it looks like, feelings you get from looking at it, and any predictions you might have about the doll.

6. Buyer Beware

It’s important to note that you might end up buying a haunted doll that actually isn’t haunted. Most haunted dolls, especially ones on eBay and online, are meant to be entertaining. You definitely have to exercise caution and be willing to take the financial risk when making your purchase. Since we can’t prove the existence of ghosts in the court of law, you’ll have a hard time taking a seller to court because they didn’t sell you a truly haunted doll. If you can’t afford the financial risk, don’t buy it.

7. Cleanse & Bless Your Space

This is especially important if you already have resident ghosts in your home. It might not be a bad idea to talk to them and let them know that a new spook is joining the household. But also, you want to make sure that your space is clear and clean before bringing in another spirit. You never know what’s already around and how your haunted doll is going to react to it.

8. Open Gently, Introduce Yourself, & Set Boundaries

Regardless of whether or not your doll is haunted, you want to set boundaries as soon as your doll arrives. When the package arrives at your door, be gentle when opening the box. Take special care in unwrapping your doll. You want to be respectful from the moment your doll is dropped off by the delivery person. Once your doll is completely unwrapped, introduce yourself. Also introduce your doll to everyone in your home, including pets. Most importantly, set boundaries. If your pets and kids are off-limits, set that boundary immediately.

9. Get Second Opinions

It’s not uncommon for people to loan their haunted doll to their friends and fellow paranormal investigators. Creators like Amanda from Pretty F’n Spooky and Cherise Williams did an experiment with a haunted doll where they sent it to each other and tried different experiments. It was really fascinating to watch. As you work with your haunted doll, consider loaning your doll to fellow researchers, mediums, etc., and see what kind of data they collect.

10. Do Your Research

This probably needs to go higher up on the list, but definitely do your research. Look into the seller, read their reviews, and see what kind of quality of products they have. Use what information you have and try to find the person that is haunting your doll. See if you can find a way to track down previous owners. It would be nice to build some sort of database. For example, have a single site and assign numbers to haunted dolls to log information so that there can be a place for people to input and read notes. Maybe someday we can make that happen.

11. Have Fun

Ultimately, you want to have a positive experience with your doll. You want to have fun and not be in a constant state of panic and fear. Once owning a haunted doll becomes a negative experience, you need to get rid of it. But don’t lie about the nature of the doll just to take it off your hands. Even if the next owner thinks you’re crazy, tell them the back story. Having a haunted doll should be a fun experience, if not a collaborative one.

Do you own a haunted doll? Do you want to buy a haunted doll? Share your tips and tricks in the comments!

A Different Kind of Therapy: Processing Trauma with Ghost Hunting

Alex Matsuo

In March 2020, I was participating in an online meetup by my team, Association of Paranormal Study. We were chatting with Dr. Ann Winsper and Dr. Rachael Ironside, two well-respected female academics in the paranormal and parapsychology field. Towards the end of the conversation, it was brought up that people use ghost hunting to process trauma. My mind went absolutely wild.

Whether we like it or not, trauma is the norm of our world. It’s not a new thing either. For thousands of years, mankind has been through some sort of trauma. Examples include war, famine, slavery, abuse, just to name a few. This is a constant occurrence in the existence of man, and it’s not stopping anytime soon. If anything, modern society is bringing about new forms of trauma every day.

That trauma is what echoes from the past into the future. Those are the echoes that modern day paranormal investigators are trying to communicate with. When we look at the common definitions of “spirits” and “ghosts”, they can be related back to processing trauma. Earthbound spirits normally have some sort of unfinished business.

What is Unfinished Business?

The term “unfinished business” is fairly vague. It’s a very general blanket statement describing something that person cannot let go of. I suppose that could include leaving the stovetop on (I wonder that everytime I go out) to getting revenge on someone who hurt that person. That hurt could be anything from a failed business translation, assault, or asking for forgiveness. “Unfinished business” is an extremely general term that we often don’t talk about enough in the paranormal world. Asking general questions in the dark and speculating what that unfinished business is isn’t enough.

But it’s not only the spirits who have unfinished business. This is something that the living has as well. How often do paranormal investigators have an experience and want to keep ghost hunting to “search for the truth” and find the answers to the afterlife? Boom. Most of us have unfinished business based on that alone, and we’re processing our own form of trauma from that spooky experience.

Grieving Through Ghost Hunting

For me personally, while I had spooky experiences as a child, I also struggle with the idea of death. I lost the majority of my core family members before I turned 30. Even then, I lose two major parental figures before I was 15 years old.

I struggle with the idea of our consciousness not surviving after death. While most people gravitate towards religion and the idea of heaven to alleviate those fears, I chose ghost hunting. I go on paranormal investigations to get some sort of sliver of proof that after-death consciousness survival is real. Even if I can’t prove it scientifically, if I can get personal validation, I’ll be happy.

But even with the experiences I’ve had, I question myself. Was I hallucinated? Or was it a case of self-fulfilling prophecy and I created the experience for myself? By paranormal investigating, I’m processing my own grief of losing my grandparents and my mother. So, for me, ghost hunting is my way of grieving.

Fear of the Unknown

This might explain why paranormal investigators get so rattled when something does physically manifest before us. In the paranormal community, I’ve noticed that there is an obsession with control. Meaning the investigator or the ghost hunter has to be in control of everything. We want to investigate the paranormal, but only on our own terms based on our own comfort level.

This is definitely a valid need because we don’t want things to happen to us outside of our boundaries. We don’t want our consent to be violated by having the spirits do more than what we are comfortable with. So, while paranormal investigators and ghost hunters want to experience and process certain chapters of history, we only want to experience on our terms and what we are the most comfortable with.

Dealing with Sins of the Past

There are a lot of elements in history that make us uncomfortable; slavery, child labor, abuse from leaders, etc. While modern-day paranormal investigators are far enough removed to not deal with a lot of these traumas first-hand, perhaps it still brings about negative feelings.

For example, many Americans are still just learning about the internment of Japanese-Americans, and it makes them uncomfortable. Some have even tried to justify it, even though they think the Holocaust was inexcusable. Then, I get messages from hopeful investigators asking me how to do a ghost hunt at an internment camp. 

While the situation above is directly related to an awful time on the dawn of the mid-20th century, it’s not all that different from wanting to investigate sites of mass bloodshed, like battlefields. Ghost hunters are also clamoring to get to places like Waverly Hills Sanatorium, St. Albans Sanatorium, and Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The fact that places like asylums and sanatoriums grossly mistreated their patients and even wrongfully held perfectly healthy people captive for the sake of “medicine” is unsettling. 

It’s hard to think that our country, our parents, their friends, and our government may have participated in atrocities that harmed another group of people. Or worse, completely erase a culture.

Facing Our Own Trauma

We might also be affected by some form of trauma or illness and trying to find some meaning behind it in the paranormal world. This may result in researching cases where people have had more paranormal experiences after a car accident or having a near-death experience during surgery. One could argue that someone’s psychic abilities awakening after a traumatic experience could be a form of processing.

Even in poltergeist cases, which stem from extreme emotional distress, it’s a form of processing trauma. In this case, the process is working from the outside in.

Coping in Person

Paranormal investigating gives people the unique opportunity to be “in the room where it happened”, to quote Hamilton. We can go to the Lizzie Borden House and stand in the rooms where Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death with a hatchet. We can stand on the battlefields of Gettysburg and picture the men running and shooting and cannons firing in our heads while feeling the gentle breeze.

Battlefields are popular places to investigate. It also gives ghost hunters and investigators to look at these places in person and really get a sense of the massive amount of death that took place. We can see the actual place where these people once lived. Granted, anyone can do this by visiting historic sites, reading the information boards, listening to the audio tour, etc.

But paranormal investigating and ghost hunting takes it an extra step by making us believe we are talking to the people of that time period. Meaning, we are talking to the owners of the house, we’re talking to the murder victims, we’re talking to former patients of the asylum.

Choosing What to Deal With

Ghost hunting also gives people a specific choice in what kind of trauma and tragedy they want to deal with. For example, there is a lot of queer history with haunted prisons and mental asylums. Until 1976, sodomy was considered a felony in the United States. This means that locations like Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum imprisoned homosexual men for being who they are. And yet, this is a chapter in paranormal media and history that is often ignored completely.

But as paranormal investigators, we have a certain level of privilege to completely ignore that chapter in TALA’s history and only choose to acknowledge what makes us comfortable. It’s not like these ghosts have manifested in reality and made us look at them and acknowledge their existence. Well, most of the time. However, this makes many people uncomfortable. So, while ghost hunting is used to process trauma, it gives the person a safe space to decide what kind of trauma they want to process. That is until a spirit makes itself known outside the box of comfort.

How to Move Forward

Now that we’ve talked about this, what do you think of this? Do you believe that we’re using ghost hunting to process trauma? It could mean different things like grieving, making sense with a problematic history, or trying to process a scary expeirence.

This can also explain why some people take it so personally when you debunk their photos, videos, and overall experiences. While you may be debunking their data, they take it personally because they see you invalidating their grief, trauma, etc. They also see validation in television and other paranormal media. It seems that as time passes, most of these people are able to remove their emotions from the situation and look at it more objectively without personal attachment.

With this in mind, there is something much deeper to the paranormal than just “looking for ghosts.”

The Spooky Stuff Wins Best Blogger in The Paranormal Awards!

Alex Matsuo

I’m thrilled to announce that The Spooky Stuff won “Best Blogger” in the 2021 Paranormal Awards! This is a voting-based award system that had quite the competition. My fellow nominees were Jon Dougherty and Phillip C. Wyatt, but amazing men in the paranormal field!

You can watch the announcement of the winners on YouTube. The “Best Blogger” category occurs around the 15 minute mark.

Thank you to everyone who voted! I’m excited to continue creating content for The Spooky Stuff and look forward to the future.