It seems so cliche…children seeing ghosts. Maybe we have that infamous scene from “Poltergeist” to thank. Remember? “They’re heeeeere.” Children seeing ghosts has been a powerful plot device in some of the most popular books, movies, and television shows. But when it happens in real life, it’s not quite so entertaining. It can be downright terrifying.
For centuries, there have been countless stories of children seeing ghosts. Some may call them imaginary friends, some call them Grandma and Grandpa. As a paranormal investigator who works on residential cases, I’m not unfamiliar with this phenomenon. Well, hearing the stories at least. I have only experienced this once.
Before We Begin
Moving forward, we’re going to go with the idea that what children are seeing is spirits. There are so many ways we can debunk these stories.
According to Dr. Kim Peirano, children have the ability to see ghosts because their awareness is much higher than us old biddies in adulthood. Children have yet to build up their walls, and therefore, notice more than we can.
Some Background
Since I got my bachelor’s degree, I’ve been in the classroom in some form or another. I’ve also run and designed camps at the local YMCA in college. I’ve been working with kids in some capacity for over ten years from all different age levels. In 2014, I found myself working as a preschool teacher for pre-kindergarten.
When you’re a preschool teacher for Pre-K with a class of 18 students, you get to know these kids pretty well. You’re with them for eight hours per day, five days per week. You get to know their families, their habits, what makes them thrive, what upsets them, are they tattle tells, are they quiet and reserved, the list goes on. I’m also aware that children at this age (four and five year olds) can be highly imaginative and make up stories.
So, what I’m saying is that by the Spring of 2016, I knew my class pretty well by this point.
“She Won’t Leave Me Alone”
It was our afternoon playground time after snack. This playtime usually lasts about 45-minutes. But on this particular day. We have three Pre-K classes. We all eat together and play together on the playground. While I’m not with all 54 kids all the time, I know every one of them and most of their names. I tend to get to know faces and personalities more than knowing their names.
So one of the kids from another class comes running to me saying, “Ms. Alex! Karen won’t leave me alone!” in his tone of when he’s tattling on one of the kids…whining inflection, pained look in his face, the whole shebang. For purposes of privacy, I’ll call him Billy.
I quickly call out Karen’s name to talk to her, and I quickly realize that out of the three classes, we do not have a Karen. We don’t even have a Karen in the whole preschool, which goes from infants to 5 years old. But the Pre-K kids play together, and we don’t mix age groups.
I stop and ask Billy, “Are you sure your friend’s name is Karen?”
Billy: “Yes!”
I confirm that he wasn’t meaning one of the other little girls. He says no.
So I ask him to point Karen out to me. I’m thinking maybe even after being in that class for 10 months (our “school year” is from August to July), maybe he forgot his friend’s names or he was stating a nickname.
Billy: It’s that girl over there in the white shirt!
I look over and there is no girl in a white shirt as all the girls are in pinks, purples, oranges, and blues. So I tell Billy to take me to Karen. He takes me to the fence and points to the woods next to the playground. I ask him if he sees her now and he whines, “Yes! Karen won’t leave me alone!” I told Billy to go play at the slide and ignore Karen, and my coworker and I just looked at each other with big eyes.
Explaining it All
Now, there’s a chance that little Billy was trying to project his issues onto an imaginary friend because he was too intimidated to point out the real Karen. There’s also a huge possibility that Karen was imaginary and he was trying to engage in some sort of social structure and explore communication.
Did you see ghosts when you were a kid? Or are you a parent of a child who has seen ghosts? Share your story in the comments!
When I saw this story, I was shocked. This isn’t the first time that there have been paranormal investigations that resulted in violence. As I started digging into the story, I started to see that this story wasn’t what it appeared to be. Ghost hunters screwing up can make for interesting news. But it can harm the teams that are doing it right, especially if they’re trying to get into historic places.
The Story
via KATV
On June 9, 2020, a story broke that a man was stabbed after ghost hunting in a cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette referred to it as “paranormal hunting.” Okay, that’s a new one. According to the unnamed female witness, she, Mark Galloway, and James Patterson were in a cemetery. Around 1:50 am Patterson and the female wanted to leave, but Galloway wanted to stay. As a result, the group started to argue.
But according to ABC-7 KATV, the argument started because there was a disagreement over who was going to drive back. Galloway insisted on driving, but Patterson and the woman didn’t want Galloway to drive.
They all got into a tan Ford 500, and Galloway started driving away. The woman said she couldn’t breathe, so she asked Galloway to stop. He refused. She tried to take the keys out of the ignition. Patterson tried to get control of the vehicle. Because of this, Galloway started to stab him. Patterson had stab wounds in his thigh and torso.
Police were called to a Rodeway Inn & Suites after there were reports of a stabbing. Patterson was bleeding heavily, and Galloway was arrested and charged with first-degree battery and false imprisonment. He was booked at the Pulaski County Jail.
Digging Deeper
I decided to dig deeper into this story to see what I could learn about Mark Galloway and James Patterson. Coast to Coast labeled them as ghost hunters, along with other news outlets. Were they actual ghost hunters?
First, I couldn’t find any connection to any paranormal team for Galloway or Patterson. I tried to find them in some of the larger paranormal Facebook groups I’m a part of. Based on this, I’m going to assume that these were people hanging out in a cemetery looking for something scare them.
In this case, I have suspicions based on Galloway’s mugshot and the sequence of events. Between the nature of their visit to the cemetery, the incident in the car, and the Rodeway Inn…yeah. Galloway also has a criminal record. In May 2016 for aggravated assault and false imprisonment for kidnapping his 19-year old girlfriend.
What was incredibly frustrating to read was the comments on the various postings of this story. People immediately jumped to the “demon” word and said Galloway was possessed. This doesn’t help the paranormal community at all. It only perpetuates the idea that these people aren’t responsible for their actions and we can blame the paranormal. That has to stop.
We can’t keep jumping to conclusions like this without thinking critically about the events of the story. This doesn’t help in creating a separation from amateur thrill seekers to serious paranormal investigators.
Burning Down History
This isn’t the first time that the mistakes of amateurs have made headlines. Sadly, labeling these people as “ghost hunters” doesn’t help the cause at all.
One of the most heartbreaking incidents that happened was when the LeBeau Plantation in Old Arabi, Louisiana, was burned down by ghost hunters. This group was also using marijuana and drinking alcohol. In the midst of their hazy stupor, plus the frustration that no ghosts were responding, one of the men decided it would be a good idea to burn the place down. I’m sorry, WHAT?
The seven men, ranging in age from 17-31, were trespassing. So they weren’t supposed to be there in the first place. But again, would we call these men ghost hunters? Definitely not.
However, it’s a catchy term, and the media will continue to use it.
What Do We Do?
Thankfully, there’s a few things we can do when this happens. We can speak out when these stories go public and reassure the community that this isn’t us. We can make our process known so that the community, and these historic locations, can be rest assured that we will take care of them.
Teams can also adopt a code of ethics as well as a non-disclosure agreement. Respecting the location’s wishes is a top priority. If ghost hunters can show that they can take care of and respect property, then how can they gain anyone’s trust?
I have to confess something; I make mistakes too. Maybe more than the average bear. It’s all part of the “trial and error” life of being a paranormal investigator. You try things that work, and you toss the things that don’t work. But the problem here was I was using a technique that had been VERY successful for the past several years.
When I’m out there doing a ghost hunt/paranormal investigation, I’m constantly trying to do it right. Sometimes, that ideal gets me into hot water. This isn’t with the living. But instead, it’s with the ghosts.
I got called out by a ghost for the first time.
The Background
It was my first paranormal investigation since December (ouch). It was our second time at this particular location, and since we had moderate success during our first visit, I wanted to approach the location the same way as last time. The location is rich in history with documentation to support it all. The location is honestly a dream come true!
I can’t say where the location is due to privacy reasons. This is about the lesson I learned during my latest investigation. Don’t get me wrong, the investigation was overall successful and we got some fascinating data, but I didn’t expect the response I would hear from the man of the house himself…who is a ghost.
The Interpretation
I did a lot of prep, but at the end of the day, the ghost felt like we were asking them to perform parlor tricks. They (the ghosts) thought we were looking to be entertained. While that was far from the truth, I can see why the spirits thought that way. I made the mistake of approaching the location like I approach most places; the ghosts want to talk about their feelings. Well, not all ghosts want to sit in the dark with us and talk through their emotions.
Lessons Learned
I honestly feel bad that we came across like a group of ghost hunters that wanted the spirits to perform. That has never been my intention, nor the intention of my time. We try to approach our investigations with a research perspective and bringing questions to the table from a contextual standpoint.
Because I’m an emotional person by nature, I immediately default to this approach. I try to use an empathetic approach to my investigational skills. Most of the time, the ghosts are eager to talk because they may not have had the opportunity to talk about this side of themselves in the past. It’s been a successful approach…until now.
There are ghosts who are present to get a job done. In this case, when the spirits saw us working, they respected us and wanted to join in. I even taught a VIPKid class the next morning in the location (that was a new one). The door kept unlatching and being pushed open. The area was known to have children, and they wanted to learn as well. That was huge.
Like I mentioned before, the investigation wasn’t a bust. We did manage to get some responses and have some information to follow up on to see if it makes sense.
What I’ll Do Next Time
I learned that I can’t use the same formula every time I go on a ghost hunt. Not only do I have to have a plan ready, but I have to have a Plan B ready when A isn’t working. I also need a Plan C, D, E, F…the letters go on.
I need to go back to my roots and hit hard with historical research…that’s critical. That way, I can prepare to change gears at a moment’s notice without derailing the process. Also, most importantly, I hope the spirits feel valued and respected.
How do you prep for your paranormal investigation? What do you do to get the ghosts to talk? Share your tips in the comments!
One recent morning, a friend alerted me to a new effect that was available on TikTok. They call it the Ripple Effect, and it creates multi colors around a moving thing, regardless of whether it’s a person, animal, or furniture. While many people were taking advantage of it for its intended person, there’s another audience that is using it to detect ghosts.
Because I’m curious in nature, it was time to give it a try. I already had the app installed, and quickly found the effect. I turned it on and started scanning my apartment. To be honest, I hoped it would go off where Frank the Kitchen Ghost likes to hang out. But I got nothing. Absolutely nothing. I walked to the bathroom, scanned each room, and still…nada. I was starting to think that maybe other users had rigged the app to go off on inanimate objects.
As I walked to the living room, I was intrigued to see that my bookshelf was radiating with colors. That bookshelf also happens to house my mother’s urn as well as a number of her trinkets. With the shape of the urn on the top shelf, it honestly looked like a person was standing there.
What was really interesting was that when I changed angles, the colors stopped.
The next step I made was to remove my mom’s urn. Even though my mom’s urn had been moved, the bookshelf was still triggering the ripple effect. What movement could be going on? This is where I wonder whether there were vibrations in the floor, or could it be the crystals in that bowl all creating their own little vibrations?
The shape also changed, and it completely enveloped the bookshelf, since the urn was no longer there to make the share of the head.
So, my third step was to remove the trinkets from the shelf. The trinkets included small statues as well as a bowl of stones and crystals my mom had. I did a video immediately after, and there was still movement. I almost decided that it was just the app itself making the ripple effect based on shape instead of movement. But then a friend told me to let the bookshelf breathe. I let the shelf sit for a bit without the trinkets, and I did another video.
I feel this kind of technology can be misleading for folks trying to find spirits. The way that apps like these are developed is that it’s creating to detect movement. If no movement is obvious, then the technology will work harder to create a pattern out of nothingness. It is very similar to the technology behind the SLS camera. Kenny Biddle does a great job explaining the technology behind the SLS camera and why it doesn’t detect ghosts. It’s all based on an algorithm. To keep it high level, it’s creating something out of nothing.
I’ve also considered the idea that all those stones and crystals my mom had, all in that bowl together, were creating some sort of vibration on their own. This is actual science. My friend actually managed to create a radio with crystals, without any electricity or frequency.
I also think perhaps the air vent may have had something to do with it, as the vent is right above the bookshelf. I forgot to take note of whether or not the air was on when I did the video. However, there are vents all over my apartment, and none of the other vents went off.
As more TikTok users flock to the ripple effect to try to find ghosts in their own homes, it just further proves that there is a thirst for more paranormal knowledge out there. As humans, we continue to be curious about the afterlife, and it means that many will grasp onto anything they can to get a taste of that experience.
This week, the New York Times released an article titled, Quarantining with a Ghost? It’s Scary. The article shared stories of different people who were dealing with hauntings and being quarantined in their home with said ghosts. I found this interesting because this has been a thought in the back of my mind when the lockdowns were being put in place. How is the dynamic between the living and the supernatural when neither are able to leave the house? If you’re in this situation, you’re not alone. Luckily, you don’t have to take this sitting down either and just accept your circumstances. It doesn’t have to be scary, and you are not the victim in this situation.
I’ve compiled a list of tips on how to get through the quarantine when you’re sharing spaces with a ghost. These tips can also help even after the quarantine is over. This is all similar to the advice we give our clients at Association of Paranormal Study. Please note that these tips are not guaranteed to resolve your haunting or make life easier for you with your ghostly roommate.
Things to Consider
Many times when there is activity in your home, after basic home incidents ruled out, that perhaps there may be a ghost that is trying to communicate with you for some reason.
Find out if other people in your home are also experiencing activity. If it’s just you, be sure to check in with your doctor and look at the side effects of any medication you’re taking just to rule out something medical. If others in your household are having experiences as well, that will give you some validation.
1. Learn the Language of Your House
I learned this tip from one of my team members, Pat Parisi, and it’s brilliant. Learning the language of your house, or any haunted location, means that you know all the creaks, unevenness, cracks, and plumbing. basically all the sounds you hear and sensations you feel in your house. This means just sitting and listening for a bit. This is actually a really useful tip for any paranormal investigation. Once you have an idea of what sort of sounds the house makes, you’ll be able to better debunk stuff.
2. Take Notes
John Tenney mentioned this great tip in the NYT article. Taking notes and making note of the date and time will help you see if there is a pattern to the activity you’re experiencing. It’s also helpful to take notes while listening to the language of your house. If it sounds like footsteps going up and down the stairs, make a note of the day, time, and what was happening before the incident happened. You’ll be able to rule out whether it could be anomalous, or if it happens when someone walks in the kitchen.
3. Set Boundaries
This is something we always try to help our clients with. Regardless of whether your ghostly guest is good or evil, you want to set some boundaries. This could mean anything like, “This is my house, please do not make noise at 1:00am because I’m trying to sleep.” Try to avoid phrases like, “Could you please…”, or “It would be great if you could…” because that is giving the ghost a choice. You don’t have to be mean or angry about it. Being assertive doesn’t mean being rude.
4. Open the Doors and Windows
When you’re stuck inside all day, especially with family, loved ones, pets, etc. things can get stuffy. In this situation, you have so much energy running around your space, that maybe it isn’t even a ghost. But instead, it could be just the accumulation of energy. I definitely recommend opening some windows, and maybe even a door or two to let all that energy out and let the house breathe. If you want to do other things to clear your space like sage or energy healing, be sure to keep things open so the energy has places to go.
5. Ask for Protection
Whatever religious belief you fall into, it doesn’t hurt to pray, meditate, etc. and ask for protection. For many, this may be something as simple as asking God or their deceased relatives to come protect them. If you want to add an extra layer of protection for yourself and your home, there are exercises on grounding and shielding to help keep darker entities, or all entities, at bay.
6. Avoid Communication on Your Own
It’s sort of an unspoken guideline that you should avoid investigating your own home. Even for me, as a seasoned paranormal investigator, I try to avoid ghost hunting in my own space. This is especially true if you don’t know what you’re doing. Before trying anything, try to get in touch with a paranormal team and ask them for their advice. Depending on where you live, they might even be able to come to you if they are exercising safety when it comes to social distancing, sanitizing, wearing masks, etc. I also know that there are teams doing Zoom meetings with their clients so that they can still help you from a distance.
If the ghost is trying to communicate with you, then you may want to explore the possibility of responding. Again, not without the guidance of a paranormal team. Sometimes, if you do listen to what the ghost has to say, they may end up finding peace and move on.
7. Encourage Them to Cross Over
You should have the guidance of a paranormal team or a reputable medium if you want to go this route. A spirit that is residing in your house may not realize that they’re deceased, or they are hesitant to cross over because of things that happened in life. There are a lot of resources online to help a ghost cross over. If this is unfamiliar territory for you, then don’t move forward without talking to someone experienced. There’s a chance you could make the haunting worse instead of better if this isn’t done right.
8. Don’t Antagonize It
During this time of being stuck inside, the last thing you want to do is try to be a big, bad ghost hunter that you see on TV. Don’t do things to make it mad, and definitely don’t provoke. Antagonizing the ghost will not make it want to leave anytime soon. Plus, it will make life quite a bit more hectic and turbulent.
9. Fill Your Space with Positive Energy
This can be hard with the current situation. One of the things I really don’t like is false and toxic positivity. Self-care is more important than ever before! I try to do something positive for myself at least once per day. That might be a dance party, exercising, eating my favorite food, watching Disney, watching something that will make me laugh, the list goes on. You don’t have to be constantly happy, but doing something to bring in a little more positivity can make a big difference. Taking care of yourself is the first step to taking care of your space.
10. Ignore It
This is advice I often see when it comes to dealing with a haunting. I don’t think this is the perfect way, but this is an option. Many will ignore their haunting long enough in hopes that the ghost will get bored and go away on its own. On the other hand, as mentioned before, if the ghost wants to communicate and has something to say, then it will continue to make a ruckus until you sit down and listen to it.
11. Learn to Live with It
If you have a ghost that is fairly calm with the occasional activity, then you have the choice to just learn to live with it. For example, I have a ghost in my kitchen, who I named Frank. He doesn’t really do much except the occasional floating objects and pushing bread off the bar. He does make the occasional appearance down the hall that leads to the kitchen. Besides that, I barely notice him. I can live with an entity like that. If the activity is much more disruptive and volatile, then there would be no way I could continue living with the entity, and it would have to go.
Final Thoughts
Think of the ghost as a roommate. You are sharing the same space and it’s inevitable that you may bump into each other occasionally. The idea of ghosts can be scary, but what has helped me in dealing with that fear is the fact that ghosts are people just like you and me. They just exist in a different state. Think of how you treat the people that live with you and give the ghost that same courtesy.
Do you have any tips on getting through the quarantine while living in a haunted space? Share them in the comments!
It’s a weird time right now. Most of the world is under some sort of “stay at home” order, whether’s it a complete lockdown, quarantine, etc. Movie releases are being delayed indefinitely. TV shows are putting productions on hold. Essential businesses like grocery stores, auto repair, the post office, etc. are still open. But non-essential businesses like parks, hair salons, gyms, etc. are closed until further notice.
Unfortunately, haunted locations are closed as well. While it may be hard to stomach, ghost hunting is not an essential business. Truly…it’s not. Does it mean that ghost hunting doesn’t matter? Of course not. It’s just not something we need to survive like food, medical needs, etc.
Impacts of COVID-19
All of these new orders are for good reason. It sucks My ghost hunting plans for spring and summer of 2020 are pretty much shot. I truly feel for the ghost hunters who are out there doing fieldwork several times a month. I know there are several teams that go out on a weekly basis (you are rock stars). This current time has got to be hard.
Taking a Forced Break from Ghost Hunting
But guess what? You don’t have to go out there doing fieldwork to be considered a ghost hunter or a paranormal researcher. If you’re truly looking for something to do to help amp up your ghost hunting skills and resume, there are things you can do! I compiled this list based on what I’m currently doing at the moment. Most of these are free.
Research
Is there a paranormal topic you’ve been wanting to learn more about? Do you want to understand why orbs aren’t ghosts? Want to know where the “woman in white” legend came from? This is the perfect time to research a legend or area of the paranormal. If you need an idea of where to start, think of different areas of paranormal research. Choose the one where you feel the most uncomfortable, or you can’t define in more than two sentences. That’s the topic you pick!
Go Through the Evidence That You Haven’t Watched, Listened to, Etc.
I’ll be the first to admit that data and evidence review is something I dread. Especially for longer investigations. For me, I’ve been spending 1 hour each day reviewing my backlog. 1 hour is pretty much my limit right now.
Read a Ghost Hunting Book
This may seem…too simple. For some, it is. For others, especially the ones doing fieldwork, reviewing evidence, networking, planning, etc. reading a book may be on the back burner. Take this opportunity to read about the ways other people are ghost hunting. I’ll take this opportunity to shamelessly plugin my book, The Brave Mortal’s Guide to Ghost Hunting.
Give Back to the Community
If you’re in a position where you can throw a few dollars at a paranormal location (especially if they’re non-profit), it would be a huge help. Many of these locations will be suffering significant financial loss because of canceled ghost hunts. If you’re not able to give financially, spreading the word and sharing content can make a big difference. You can even do live streams on Facebook and fundraise for the location.
Plan Your Next Ghost Hunting Adventure
Sure, we’re not sure how long this is going to last, especially in the United States. But, we can get ahead of the game by already planning our next adventure. Whether it’s mapping out where you’re going to go, your ghost hunting plan, equipment list, etc., planning your next ghost hunt will also give you something to look forward to in the future.
Take Inventory & Tidy Up
I know for me, at the end of an investigation, I sometimes will throw my equipment into some random bag or case, mainly because I’m packing up quickly. I’ve been taking this time to reorganize my equipment and make a list of what I need like batteries, new flashlights, etc.
Watch TV
Yep. Watch some TV. I do sometimes watch ghost hunting shows, but not for anything educational (sorry). Ghost hunting shows are meant to be entertainment. I’m watching them to be entertained, find new locations to check out, and also review their investigation skills and see what I could do better. Watching how other investigators do things, even if it’s on TV, can be valuable. You’ll either get validation for your own methods, get new ideas, or know what NOT to do.
Network
If there was any time to network with other ghost hunters, this is the time to do it. Whether it’s through Facebook or some other social media platform, take the time to meet other ghost hunters. Ask to have an online meeting on a platform like Google Hangouts and chat for a bit. This is also super helpful mental health-wise, as conversing with friends during this time can really help you. Most therapists are recommending that we connect with people for about 30 minutes per day.
Create Content
If you have the energy, definitely create content. This means creating images, videos, memes, videos, blogging, writing, live streaming, webinars, basically creating things that people can enjoy. If you’re a paranormal team, this can drive people to your page and website. If you’re a solo ghost hunter, same deal. Right now, we have to move to an all-digital platform, and creating appropriate content can still drive engagement with your work.
Self-Care
Most importantly, take care of yourself. If you’re not able to do anything on this list…that is okay! If you need to just veg on the couch and just exist…that’s okay. If you need to clean everything, that’s okay. Basically, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to accomplish things. This is a very trying time in our world right now, and we’re not quite sure when it will all be over. People are also on edge and many are feeling angry and need someone to lash out at. If you have to walk away from a discussion, argument, etc., do it! Take one day at a time, and we’ll get through all of this together!
Paranormal friends: What are you doing during your quarantine? Share your ideas in the comments.
The title is a bit misleading, but I wanted to use a term that would be familiar to people. Tanforan was a detention center for Japanese Americans as they were waiting to be processed into an internment camp. More on that later.
I have to let you know how I ran into this story. I was looking up vintage Hollywood ghost stories for a video I was researching. I’m always drawn to vintage ghost stories, specifically, the first half of the 20th century as the dawn of modern ghost hunting was creeping upon society. During my research journey on the Library of Congress site, I found something about a haunting at the Hollywood Bowl. Bingo. That’s what I was looking for, right?
The name of the newspaper stood out to me because it had the name Tanforan Totalizer. I knew immediately this was an article from one of the 15 newspapers that circulated around the assembly centers (temporary detention centers) for the internment camps for Japanese Americans.
I’ve been researching this often-forgotten era of American history, and I find something new every day. This was no exception. I usually keep this area of my life separate from my paranormal life because I never made the connection. This is intentional. I feel it’s tip-toeing a line between being disrespectful and honoring my family.
Many of my followers know that the unjust treatment and internment of Japanese Americans is personal to me. For those who don’t know my background, my family is Japanese and were deeply affected by the internments. My grandfather, who was kicked out of the University of Washington for being Japanese, served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in Minnesota training soldiers in special ops. While his experience was rare for a Japanese person, he still had family in the internment camps: his first wife was sent to an internment camp, a brother sent to a prison labor camp, and another brother was in the camps as well. He had many siblings, including a third brother, Ted, who served in the 442nd as a medic and was one of the first to get injured. The rest of his family remained in Hawaii, where they were subjected to a police state since they were so close to Pearl Harbor.
Back to the ghost story…almost.
The barracks at Tanforan Assembly Center. Photographed by Dorothea Lange, WRA, courtesy the National Archives and Records Administration via Densho.org [National Archives Identifier 537919])
The Tanforan Assembly Center opened on April 28th, 1942, and it was located in San Bruno, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula on the Tanforan Racetrack. It was a thoroughbred horse racing track from 1899 to 1964. During World War II, it was a temporary detention center so the American government could (eventually) process over 8,000 Japanese Americans into internment camps, where they would ultimately live for years. Many families lost everything — homes, businesses, family connections — while encamped.
During their temporary “stay” at Tanforan, the people were housed in horse stalls or in one of the 170 barracks that were quickly built. To give you an idea of the tight capacity the center was dealing with, one of the first Japanese American women to earn a medical degree, Dr. Kazue Togasaki, delivered 50 babies while she was interned at Tanforan for a month. Using the term “assembly center” is a tad too gracious in my opinion.
The Tanforan Totalizer was first published on May 15th, 1942. It was edited by Taro Katayama and produced 19 weekly issues.
The article was called, “Ghost of Tanforan” and there was a little illustration of a cartoon ghost squeezed into the top right corner. Okay, this is what I’m looking for. The article was published on July 11th, 1942, and it was noted that the incident occurred on July 8th. As I read the article in the Tanforan Totalizer, I noticed that it talked about apartments and I thought that was interesting because the real Hollywood Bowl as we knew it didn’t have apartments. But the area where the barracks were was on the tracks, like a bowl…hence the ironic name, “Hollywood Bowl.” I was definitely not going to find an early 20th-century Hollywood ghost story, full of glitz and glam.
“Ghost of Tanforan” with a little ghost illustration graces page four of the Tanforan Totalizer
The story reports that a mob of curious people was drawn to Apartment 22 because a blue ghost was said to be haunting it. Whenever the light was dimmed, or the room was dark, a blue light appeared on the ceiling. The apartment’s occupants, the family of James Fujitas, decided to move in with a neighbor while contemplating getting farther away from the apartment. The family was quoted saying, “Well, why should we stay in our room with that thing up there?”
It was then I realized that this was a paranormal investigation on a Japanese internment camp. So, we have a classic residential case. Family experiences something extraordinary, and they can’t explain it. In this case, they believed they were seeing a blue ghost. They were so spooked by it that they left their living quarters.
Keep in mind that this incident happened just a few months after these people were forced to leave their businesses, homes, and everything they knew, just because of what they looked like. They had to leave their lives behind, and there is no doubt they were going through incredible stress and feelings of uncertainty. In the case of the Tanforan internment camp, these folks were living in horse stalls. Using the word “apartment” to describe these living quarters is ridiculously generous.
I’m extremely pleased to read this next part. The Fujitas’ story was heard by a group of skeptics, and they were determined to find out what was going on. They examined the room and determined that a piece of wood on the ceiling had rotted and was giving off a phosphorescent light. They covered the spot with a new piece of wood and the case was solved…maybe.
Around 11:30pm, Mr. Fujitas, still staying with his neighbor, went back to his room to grab some clothes when he saw something terrifying…the light was back, and it was covering the new piece of wood. He was so freaked out that he went to the apartment of Bob Iki, who lived in Apartment 33, and they got another person with the last name of Satow. They went back to Apartment 22 and saw that the blue light had indeed returned. They closed the door behind them, and as their eyes grew accustomed to the light, something amazing happened.
They realized the blue light was peeking through a crack in a wall. I’m guessing the skeptics didn’t stay in the apartment long enough to let their eyes adjust to the darkness so that they could have found the source of the blue light.
Fujitas, Iki, and Satow closed the crack in the wall, and the blue ghost was never seen again.
I’m sure as the families of those involved moved on to the next phase of their internment process, this was a story that stuck with them as the years went by. I have to wonder, as they covered up the light, if James Fujitas, Bob Iki, and S. Satow appreciated the temporary distraction from this terrifying period of their lives. And was this an experience that stayed with them for the rest of their lives? Or, was it eventually forgotten or lost to the wind, just like the stories of my family that has been lost because no one ever spoke of it again once they were released?
If you return to the Tanforan racetrack today, it’s now a shopping center. If you look near the main entrance, you’ll find a plaque with a commemorative small rock garden that honors those who were once imprisoned there.
At the very least, this story managed to find its way from the darkness and into the light. Maybe it isn’t blue light, but it gives us a glimpse of what life was like in literal limbo between leaving your life behind and moving on into obscurity with an unpredictable future.
For me, this is a story that will stay in my heart and soul.
I must start this blog off with a declaration: I love the paranormal community. It is because I love it that I’m writing this piece. This is something that has been on my mind quite heavily lately. Every time I see a promotional image for a television show, paracon, paranormal event, etc….too often I find myself asking, “Where are all the ladies?”
The paranormal community has its ups and downs, especially that infamous “para-drama” that we all encounter occasionally. However, this has been a glaring flaw I’ve noticed in the events aspect of the community. There is a disproportioned ratio between female and male guests. First off, I don’t believe this is intentional. I’m going to try to avoid being critical as possible, because I know SO MUCH WORK go into these events, and many times organizers have to work with what they have.
I suppose I can argue that this stems from the lack of female-driven television. I have to commend Katrina Weidman for continuing to be that pioneer for women on television. Of course, we also have Amy Bruni, Amy Allen, Heather Taddy, and Lorraine Warren. I can literally count the number of women who consistently appeared in a paranormal television show on barely more than one hand. I know there are a few more. Note that I am NOT including medium shows, where there is usually a female lead. There is no question that women do have a presence on ghost hunter type television shows. However, how many of them are the star of the show? How many of these shows have a female ghost hunter as the star vehicle or a television show, or even have an all-female team being featured on a television show.
For example, take a look at Ghost Adventures, which currently has no female show runners.
Ghost Hunters does a bit better with their female cast members. The ratio varied from season to season. I noticed that Ghost Hunters International included more women.
Keep this in mind as I make this next note. Now, count the amount of male-driven paranormal television shows. The list goes on. Haunted Towns, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Brothers, and Ghost Stalkers alone takes up a good amount of this list. The paranormal television industry is male-driven, and it continues to do so. Female cast members are usually a co-host, the sidekick, the psychic medium, the spiritualist, the witch…now THAT list goes on. How many successful and mainstream paranormal shows do we have where we have a leading lady that isn’t sharing the spotlight with a male star? I do appreciate the strides that shows like “The Dead Files” have made for women in the paranormal.
According to a 2017 study from the Netherlands, they found that men’s channels featured less-equal and a more traditional image of gender. They found that females were underrepresented on men’s channels while gender was more equal on female-centric channels. However, given that paranormal television has been compared to professional wrestling, and even adult-entertainment, we have to wonder why this is. When you look at female-representation in the comparative venues, this trend in paranormal television makes sense. Given that these television shows are meant for entertainment and shouldn’t be interpreted as reality, it’s truly another form of theatre in a way.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that the paranormal event circuit tends to be male heavy. These events depend on featuring stars of television shows to help drive ticket sales. There was only one all-female driven paranormal con that I could think of, and that was the ParAmeriCon, which was created by Suzanne Sorrell of Evermore Paranormal. I know Phenomenology tends to try to keep it even between male and female guests.
However, events like ScareFest are currently not featuring ANY female celebrity guests. They are featuring the cast of Ghost Brothers and Haunted Towns. Now, it could very well be possible that no females applied to become a speaker for ScareFest. I have to say that I’m not a believer of creating opportunities for the sake of inclusion to help an organization’s stats, as that ends up doing more harm than good. It could very well be that there were females who applied but were not qualified enough to speak.
Then we have these other events, where there is an uneven
ratio between men and women. I’m only
going off of what was included in the event’s marketing materials. Usually the
remaining guest list is more expansive.
The earliest event I’ll mention is Pensacola ParaCon 2011. There were eleven men and only one woman for their featured guests. 1:11
Pensacola ParaCon 2014 featured four women on their promotional materials. The remaining thirty were men. 3:30
Old Mill ParaFest in 2014 featured three women and eight men. 3:8
A 2014 event called, “ParaCon” had no female guests at all. It was all men. 0:7
An event simply known as Para-Con 2015 only featured one woman with the remaining featured guests being men.
Sage ParaCon 2018 had two featured female guests, with Katrina Weidman and MJ Dickson. The remaining seven guests featured were men. 2:7
For the 2019 ParaPsyCon, there are five female guests and eight men. 5:8 is actually pretty good. This particular promotional image only features three women and eight men.
PennHurst Asylum Paracon 2019 features twelve men on their front page and three women, Rosalyn Bown and the Mountain Gypsies. 3:12
Mass ParaCon 2019 has eight female guests and eleven male guests. Their promotional image features five women and six men. So, very balanced! 5:6
Then we have the Ocean State Paracon for 2019. They have six women and eleven men on their promotional image. 6:11
The Haunted Road Media ParaCon has over nine female guests and six male guests. This is the first event I found where the female guests outnumber the males. 9:6
From this little breakdown, we can see that some events have made efforts to be more gender-inclusive for their guests list. Other events still have some improvements to make. It would be brilliant if the paranormal television industry had a more balanced ratio for female-driven paranormal programming that didn’t pigeon-hold them in the “psychic medium” genre, but instead, leading a paranormal investigation on camera.
Some of the most brilliant minds I have met in the
paranormal community have been women. What is interesting is that there seems
to be more female paranormal authors out there, which is a fascinating
conversation to be held. I strongly feel we need to keep spotlighting these
women because we are more than the sidekick or the cohost. I think the
paranormal community is ready for more leading ladies on television as well as
being featured in events, articles, books, podcasts, etc.
Until the paranormal television business catches up, it is up to us as event organizers, teams, attendees, and supporters to lift women up.
On Thursday, November 15th, 2018 at 8pm ET, I had the pleasure of having Daryl Marston of The American Ghost Hunter Show & Breaking Paranormal on the show. We talked about some great stuff including his work with ParanormalWarehouse.com, hauntings during the holidays, and even shared a few laughs about different shenanigans that occur during paranormal investigations!
This may not be a big deal for some, but it was to me. I was diagnosed with diabetes in July 2018. Still trying to figure out exactly what type I am. Thankfully, there’s a glimmer of hope in solving the mystery.
Anyway, since my diagnosis, I’ve had to be extremely cautious of what I put in my mouth. I flip-flop between eating keto, dirty keto, reduced carb, etc. since looking at a carb seems to spike my blood sugar. I took a brief hiatus from ghost hunts and other paranormal investigations since my blood sugar was going crazy as I was adjusting. My first paranormal investigation as a diabetic wasn’t until September 29th, so I had time.
The biggest change for me was how much more I had to prepare before the investigation. Packing equipment and making a plan is tedious enough. But then I had to consider the following supplies:
Glucose tablets
Glucagon Kit
Blood Sugar Meter
Snacks
Caffeine
Water
Stress Level
Insulin
Oral meds
You’ll often see sweets and salty carb-centric snacks at a paranormal investigation. I couldn’t eat any of that. The food I was going to eat was going to have to be protein centric. I did end up eating some Pringles chips since that didn’t spike me as much as regular potato chips. But besides that, it was all beef jerky, boiled eggs, etc. Also, I couldn’t eat anything with sugar, and it’s no longer an option for me to get energy.
Speaking of energy, the other issue was caffeine. I could drink coffee, but I had to be really careful because I didn’t want to cause chaos in my blood sugar numbers. I usually drink Diet Coke for caffeine anyway. But, if I don’t drink enough water these days, my sugars will spike. So, I have to do a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part Diet Coke. Obviously, this also causes an inconvenience as it makes me have to use the bathroom a lot. If I started to spike, I had to chug water.
I had to also make time to take my medications. I actually forgot to take a round of oral meds, which could have been a disaster. I ended up remembering later than I wanted, which pushed back my round of insulin. So, for the future, I’m going to have to set an alarm for myself.
The other issue I was concerned with was what would happen if my blood sugar dropped. I had to let one of my team members know where they could find my meter, glucose tablets, and medication. I also have to train them all in using a glucagon kit. In the event I had to be taken to the hospital, I made sure that my prescription paperwork was on hand. It was weird to have to do so much prep work just for myself.
Also, stress can cause blood sugars to rise. Besides the investigation, my team and I were also putting on a fundraiser for the Trivette Clinic and I found myself in the middle of a spike and a dizzy spell right as the event was starting. I made friends with the wall and anything that was nearby I could use for balance. Fear can certainly stress anyone out, but luckily, the Trivette Clinic isn’t haunted by anything that is volatile or malevolent so I wasn’t afraid.
Lack of sleep can also mess with my blood sugar. Considering that ghost hunts typically happen at night, I had to do a check whenever I started feeling off.
Besides a few spikes and running high, I survived. I’m annoyed that I have to have such a contingency plan from now on. But it’s better to make this plan now instead of having my team members not know what to do should I pass out or I spike to a dangerous number like 600.
I ain’t afraid of no ghosts, or crazy blood sugars (for now).
