Tag: paranormal

“The Terror” in Real Life – Investigating a Haunting at a Japanese Internment Camp

Alex Matsuo

This is a blog I never thought I’d be writing. 

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.

via https://cmo.smcgov.org/

Sources: 

Original Article: Ghost of TanforanDownload

http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Tanforan_Totalizer_(newspaper)/

https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=25427

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/7-800-imprisoned-in-San-Bruno-for-just-one-crime-7251516.php

http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist8/tanforan2.html

Is “Courage the Cowardly Dog” Based on a True Story?

Alex Matsuo1 Comment

Let’s kick off the first entry of 2020 with a truly weird and unexpected story that I never thought I’d write about. I was born in the ’80s, which means I was a 90’s kid. In 1999, I was 13 years old and trying to get through my last year of middle school when this awesome cartoon series premiered on Cartoon Network: Courage the Cowardly Dog. The show only lasted until 2002, but reruns continue to air. It was probably one of my favorite late-night cartoons that I watched before going to bed.

Note: If you enjoy this blog, feel free to follow me on social media at @thespookystuff on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and X. I’m also an author! Check out my books on Amazon under Alex Matsuo. All the info you need is here.

Don’t feel like reading? Take a peek at this video!

In Case You’ve Never Watched the Show

As the title suggests, Courage is this adorable purple dog that is frightened of basically everything. He lives in Nowhere, Kansas with Muriel and Eustace after he was abandoned as a puppy. Turns out that his parents were sent into outer space. Muriel is a sweet Scottish woman who uses too much vinegar in her recipes, while Eustace is your typical crabby old man that harasses Courage. Muriel is often the one who is kidnapped by the show’s villains.

What is the Show Like?

I have to say that this show is wonderfully weird. There are some weird paranormal elements to it that I absolutely adore. As a kid, I didn’t think much of it when it came to the true stories or lore that may have inspired the series. Now, thanks to the reach of the internet and more, we are discovering more interesting stories behind the series.

Is the Show Based on a True Story?

Yes and no. There have been countless theories floating around the internet for years, and it’s hard to pinpoint what is actually true and what isn’t myth. There’s no doubt that Courage terrified many of us growing up, and it’s human nature to want to find answers to the mysteries we were exposed to.

For example, this image to your left has been floating around as the real-life house from Courage the Cowardly Dog. It is supposedly located in Truth or Consequence, New Mexico and was the location of a murder and a double kidnapping. In my scouring of the internet, I wasn’t able to verify this was true. I have no doubt that old Depression-era houses like this may have certainly inspired the designers from the show. But I have my doubts that the occurrences noted happened at the location above.

And then we have this next image.

This is another one that has been floating around numerous places like Reddit and other community pages. I will have to give credit to the creator of this image because it actually gave me the clue I needed to track down the story that is commonly linked with Courage. However, I soon learned that the caption in the photo wasn’t that accurate.

Yes, there was an elderly couple that lived in a neighborhood known as Kern Place in 1957. It was a historic neighborhood in the El Paso, Texas, right next to New Mexico.

The husband, William, was described as not the nicest person. The wife, Margaret, was described as warm, friendly, caring, and also petite. Yes, this sounds eerily familiar to their supposed cartoon counterparts. They also had a pet. They were last seen March 5th and 6th, 1957 after a neighbor brought over some Girl Scout cookies to them. The neighbor, Jeri Cash, felt unwelcomed and left soon after. She described Margaret as incredibly upset and William wasn’t happy with Jeri’s presence in the house.

They owned the business, Patterson Photo Supply, and were well known in their community. William was 52 and Margaret was 42 at the time of their disappearance. To this day, their disappearance is still an open case for the El Paso Police Department. The couple seemed to have disappeared without a trace. All that was left was their cat, Tommy. The couple did not have a dog.

Some have theorized that the couple was murdered and they were buried somewhere on the property. Former El Paso County Sheriff, Leo Samaniego, thinks that the couple may have been spies and left.

Friends of the couple told police that they went on an extended vacation to Florida and had sent instructions to distribute their assets and property to their friends, family, and employees. If anything, that sounds a bit suspicious. Especially since William owned a boat, a Cadillac, and property in Mexico as well as numerous stocks.

Also, there were friends who had dinner with the Pattersons just days before their disappearance, and they made no mention of having plans to travel. The friends, the Wards, owned an automotive business. They actually made plans with said friends for later in the week. What then became strange was that when Cecil Ward opened his business on March 6th, Patterson’s Cadillac was in his driveway. When Ward asked Doyle Kirkland, Patterson’s competitor, and close business friend, why he had possession of the vehicle, he brushed it off. Kirkland said that he helped Patterson with his boat the night before and he was going on a trip.

Ward was the one who called the cops. Margaret’s fur coat and the couple’s other expensive clothes were left at the cleaners. The house was in complete chaos with piles of dishes in the sink, and the house was described by police as being devoid of life.

The Secretive Couple

Turns out that Margaret wouldn’t tell people when her birthday was. Also, William had a mistress down in Mexico, who was also questioned after the couple disappeared. There were a few odd things about the couple that didn’t really add up. Apparently, Margaret’s parents didn’t approve of William as a spouse and forced their daughter to choose them or him. Well, we know who Margaret chose…meaning she was estranged from her parents.

Margaret and William Patterson

On March 15th, the couple’s accountant, Herbert Roth, received a telegram from a “W.H. Patterson”, which was weird because William’s middle name was Duncan. He was instructed to sell a mobile home owned by the Pattersons and act as business manager for their photo business. He was to use the money from selling the mobile home to support the photo business, as well as rent out the Pattersons’ house for nine months. After that, Roth was instructed to hand off the business to none other than Doyle Kirkland.

The couple was reportedly seen in New Mexico several times, but the couple was officially declared dead in 1964.

What Actually Happened?

Kookier theories explaining the Pattersons’ disappearance also include government conspiracies, UFOs, alien abductions, and skinwalkers. I take the last one back. The urban legend going around about the “true” story of Courage links the missing couple with sightings of skinwalkers prior to their disappearance. But I haven’t been able to find a link between the Pattersons and skinwalker sightings…at least not from a more legitimate news source.

In 1984, the Pattersons’ former caretaker, Reynaldo Nangaray, confessed to seeing (and cleaning up) blood in the garage and part of a scalp on the Patterson’s boat. He also claimed to have seen an associate of the Pattersons putting a bloody sheet in the trunk of their car. The reason why Reynaldo Nangaray didn’t say anything earlier was because he feared deportation since he was undocumented. The caretaker would die in a car accident two years later.

So, here we are. You thought you were going to read about how Courage the Cowardly Dog is based on a true story, and now you’re deep into a write up about one of the most mysterious disappearances of the 20th century! While the writers may have seen this story, they were inspired by countless stories and legends that make our society a little more spooky.

Sources

https://www.abqjournal.com/964774/el-paso-couples-1957-disappearance-still-unsolved-mystery.html

https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2017/03/06/el-paso-familys-disappearance-remains-mystery/98702680/

https://the-line-up.com/william-and-margaret-patterson

The Most Memorable Paranormal Stories of 2019

Alex Matsuo

2019 has proven to be a year of interesting stories. There have been countless news articles and segments about alleged hauntings that caught the world’s attention. But how many of these were legit and how many could be debunked? Let’s take a look back at the past year and see what’s in store.

1. Supermarket Ghost

This story broke in March 2019 and occurred in Wilmington, Massachusettes at a chain grocery store known as Market Basket. A woman by the name of Christiana Bush, who is an employee at the store, witnessed the ghost of an older woman who was dressed in a Victorian nightgown and haircap. Of all departments within the store, Bush saw the specter in the frozen food section. According to Bush, she looked down for a moment, and when she looked up, the older woman was gone. She searched the aisles to find the woman, but to no avail. Bush posted about the experience in her local Facebook group, where the story went viral. It created such a stir that the Market Basket corporation made a statement proclaiming that their stores were ghost free. Perhaps the paranormal was bad for business?

2. Area 51 Raid & Navy UFO Confirmation

Remember the Area 51 raid? Or Storm Area 51? It went viral based off a joke on Facebook and became an identity of its own. But as soon as the story boomed in popularity, it disappeared from the news. Yet, the raid did happen, and apparently a few arrests were made. It was just on a much smaller scale.

We’ll keep this going with some of the biggest news in the UFO world. Back in 2017, the New York Times broke a story of two videos that went public of some weird phenomenon that Navy pilots experienced. One of the videos showed a spherical object that was moving against the wind. Another video emerged in March 2018, making everyone question what was going on, and wondering whether the government was going to call a spade a spade. Well, in 2019, the Navy admitted that the objects captured on video was known as “Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon.” They didn’t want to use the term UFO or “Unidentified Flying Object.”

3. Ghost Baby in Crib

via today.com

I love this story, and you’re going to find out why in a moment. In case you’re wondering, there is only one baby in the photo. Well, one living baby. I’ll be the first to admit that this photo freaked me out a bit. It just looks creepy. I hypothesize that this is very well a case of pareidolia.

This incident took place in October 2019, just in time for Halloween. A Chicago mother named Maritza Cibuls was home alone with her kids late one night. When she checked the baby monitor of her 18-month old, she was shocked to see a second baby in the crib with her son. She kept checking on her son during the night, faithfully watching the monior. The anamolous baby didn’t move at all. She shared the photo with her husband as well as a Facebook group for moms she was a part of. People tried to make sense of the photo, saying it may have been drool, or some sort of stain that only the monitor picked up.

However, when she changed the sheets in her baby’s crib, she saw what happened. When her husband changed the sheets previously, he didn’t put the matress cover on. This resulted in a sticker of a baby’s face showing through the sheet.

4. Paramount Theatre Concert Hall

I chose this story because it had a few of my favorite things in it; theatre and the Lore podcast. This photo was taken in September 2019 by Chad Lawson at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. Lawson had just completed a sound check before a live episode of “Lore.” If you’re not familiar with “Lore”, it’s an amazing podcast about the creepier history of our existence along with ghost stories, creatures, aliens, and more. Lawson took a photo of his piano after the sound check, and it didn’t take long before his followers on Instagram noticed someone in the mezzanine. Startled, Lawson did some research and found that the Paramount Theatre was indeed haunted.

5. Haunted Furniture

This is a story that isn’t too far away from where I live. In Salisbury, North Carolina, and the ReStore for Habitat for Humanity of Rowan County, there was a dresser and a four-post headboard and bed frame for sale. However, with the price, it seemed that it came with ghosts as accessories. ReStore reported that the previous owner claimed that the furniture was haunted and that it brought about nightmares for the previous owner and his wife. Also, the couple’s dog wouldn’t stop barking at the furniture. ReStore claimed that it was transparent about the haunting because they were a Christian ministry and didn’t want to be held responsible if something happen. Two men came in and paid $1,000 for the furniture.

6. Michigan Nanny Cam

This is another story that broke in March 2019 and occurred in Highland, Michigan. The situation involved Heather Brough, Joshua Higgens, and their baby daughter Lily. The small family lives in a guest house that’s owned by Higgins’ mother, but according to them, their not alone. They believe they have a ghost in their home after they’re daughter woke up from a nap with scratches on her face. After the incident, Heather and Joshua started looking at the nanny cam and were disturbed to see a transparent figure walk by the front of Lily’s crib. Heather also claims that the ghost tried to choke her as she was waking up. However, she told a different version of this story to different outlets. I have my reservations about this case, and Kenny Biddle does a great job of breaking this down.

7. Bertha’s Mussels

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, Bertha’s Mussels can be founds in the Fells Point neighborhood. It is a truly a staple for the locals. It is also known for being notoriously haunted. In fact, locals claim that there are so many ghosts that experiences happen one after another. Co-owner Laura Norris claims that she’s had to talk to the ghost and ask for safe passage in order to leave. Melissa Rowell gives ghost tours of the restaurant, and guests often have photos and videos to share with her of the ghosts at Bertha’s Mussels.

8. Wendell

Lori Stokes and her grandson, Matthew, pose outside their Applewhite Road home near Wendell Tuesday. The home will be featured on an episode of “Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests” airing Friday on the Travel Channel. Shawn Taylor | The Wake Weekly

I’ll admit that I chose this story because it’s about an hour away from where I live. In Wendell, North Carolina, Lori Stokes has been dealing with a malevolent presence in her home that attacks not only her, but her 6-year old grandson. Stokes claimed that guests were getting scratched, her grandson got flung from his bike, things were being thrown, and Stokes’ says that she saw a man during the night and her one of her feet was grabbed and shaken while in bed. Stokes had a psychic medium come to the house, and the medium claimed that the haunting was demonic in nature. The TV show, “Ghost Brothers”, came and spent six days in the house. They validated Stokes’ experiences and brought in a medium to help dispel the evil spirits in her home. It seems that the activity in her home has since disappaited.

9. Daisy Marquez

Credit: Twitter.com/daisymarquez_

With the wide reach of the internet, it can sometimes be hard to share paranormal experiences and be believed. For Daisy Marquez, she soon faced scrutiny and accusations of hoaxing after she shared that she had been dealing with paranormal activity. She shared a sponsorship video she was working on and claimed that her door opened by itself. Daisy also claimed that she had been pushed down the stairs by an unseen force, and her camera kept cutting off when she was trying to talk about her experiences. She also heard taps on the wall as well as voices.

10. Cobden’s Hotel

This is another story where it’s up to you to make the decision as to whether this is a legit paranormal occurrence or not. Located in Capel Curig, Wales next to Snowdonia National Park. In 1890, a famous cricket player known as Frank Cobden bought the hotel. Today, it is believed that his daughter, Evelyn, haunts the hotel. It became a staple for mountain climbers and hikers during its time. From 1970-1976, Lawrence Pett’s family own the hotel, which has been known to be home for numerous ghosts. Each year during the holidays, the “Christmas ghost” turns off the lights. Pett’s father refurbished the hotel after purchase and also built the bar next door to the hotel. While the hotel has been long closed, Pett and his wife visited and were shocked to see that the bar hadn’t changed since the seventies. When Pett took a photo through the window, he noticed two figures with caps behind the white light anamoly. He believes they are just a few of the countless ghosts haunting the Cobden.

That’s it for 2019! I hope 2020 is the start of a wonderful new chapter in your life. Happy New Year!

Grýla: The Child Eating Monster That Makes Christmas a Little Scarier

Alex Matsuo1 Comment
Don’t like to read? Then check out the video!

When we think of the holidays, we think of cheerfulness, merriment, and nothing scary. Well, if you find Santa Claus scary, then I don’t know what to tell you.

But not everyone thinks of the holidays as a positive time of year. Many see it as just another day of life. Others see the time as a season of painful memories and feelings. Some folks see it as a time to get children to behave. 

We have Krampus and Frau Perchta. But do you recall the Icelandic legend of Grýla and her Yule Cat and Yule Lads?

Instead of Santa Claus coming to town, Icelanders are treated to mountain-dwelling monsters who come down for the holidays. What is endearing about this folktale is the fact that they all live together in a cave in the mountains. These mountains are known as the Dimmuborgir lava fields.

Yes, these Christmas monsters are a family. They even have a house cat named Jólakötturinn! Yes, it joins in on their reign of holiday terror.

The Legend

Let’s start with Grýla, whose name loosely translates to growler. She is an ogress who has a rather large appetite for eating naughty children. That’s right, kids. If you’re naughty, you’ll get eaten by Grýla. She has this talent of detecting naughty children year-round. When she comes down from the mountains, she knows who to find. She collects them in her large sack and carries them back to her cave. Then, cooks them in a large pot, making a “naughty children stew”, for which she has an insatiable appetite.

She has a husband named Leppaludi who is your typical TV-house husband. He’s depicted as lazy and doesn’t really leave the cave. Leppaludi is also Grýla’s third husband, which I thought was interesting. Apparently, she ate her previous husbands after she became bored with them.

If you’ve been good, and you think you’re safe, think again. Remember that house cat I told you about? Maybe it’s actually a cave cat. The Yule Cat, named Jólakötturinn, is Grýla’s kitty. It roams the countryside during Yule and eats people who haven’t gotten new clothes before Christmas Eve.

The Yule Lads

Let’s not forget the kids! Grýla and Lappaludi have 13 sons known as the Yule Lads. First, I guess we know what Grýla and her husband were up to in the cave during the off-season. Second, the Yule Lads sounds like a name for a street gang of kids. On the 13 nights leading up to Christmas, the Yule Lads come into town one by one. They bring about mischief, mayhem, pranks, and murder. Kids leave their shoes on window sills. If the kids were good, the Yule Lads bring presents to leave in these shoes. If the kids were naughty, the Yule Lads left a potato in their shoes. That’s not a terrible thing.

The History

The legend of Grýla and her family date back centuries. The earliest mention of Grýla can be traced back to the 13th century. You can find her in a compilation of Norse mythology called, Prose Edda. She is described as a giantess that is repulsive and hideous.  Some other early depictions of Grýla have ranged from describing her as a beggar with parasites as well as a troll. What is creepy about her as a beggar is that she would go door-to-door asking parents to give her their naughty children. It wasn’t until the 17th century that she was associated with Christmas. 

The earliest mention of the Yule Lads goes back to the 17th century in the poem called, “The Poem of Grýla.” In the most popular depictions, they were Grýla’s sons. In other versions, they were her brothers. Depending on where you were from, the Yule Lads did different things from harmless pranks to painting the town red…with blood. What is even more interesting is that the King of Denmark wasn’t a fan of using the Yule Lads as a method of scaring children into behaving. They were formally named in 1862 by Jon Arnason. He was a 19th-century author, collected his own folktales after being inspired by the Grimm Brothers. The 1932 poem, The Yule Lads by Jóhannes úr Kötlum, became canon with their names and personalities because it was so popular. You can find it in the book, Christmas is Coming.

Creepy Christmas Kitty

Now, where did the Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat, come from? As if Grýla and her family weren’t terrifying enough, let’s add in a cat to make it extra scary. And this giant kitty judged you on whether or not you got new clothes by Christmas Eve. The earliest depiction of the Jólakötturinn is the 19th century. But why clothes? Farmers to put pressure on their workers to finish processing the autumn before Christmas. If the workers finished, they were rewarded with new clothes. Those who didn’t finish got nothing. The idea of the Yule Cat being this giant, monstrous beast was popularized by Jóhannes úr Kötlum. Other depictions included the Yule Cat merely eating the food of those who didn’t have new clothes, which is less dramatic.

To tie all of this up in a neat little bow, basically, you should behave yourself and make sure you have new clothes by Christmas Eve. Otherwise, you might get a visit from Grýla, her Yule Cat, and the Yule Lads. Oh yeah, don’t forget to leave your shoes on the window sill!

What do you think of Grýla, the Yule Cat, and the Yule Lads? Tell me what you think in the comments! Don’t forget to follow this page and subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Forgiving Myself: A New Book…Four Years Later

Alex Matsuo2 Comments

Did you know it’s been four years since my last book? That’s a long time. I’ll try to go into details as to why without the intention of giving excuses. The reason why I wanted to write this blog is that authors will so often beat themselves up over not producing content. Then months turn into years, and before you know it…years have gone by. Or, in my case, four years.

Before we get started, I have to do a shameless plug, because I just put out a new book. You can grab a paperback copy of “The Brave Mortal’s Guide to Ghost Hunting” here, and you can get it on Kindle here. After you’ve read the book, please review it on Amazon and Goodreads! Reviews are so beneficial to authors and it’s the best thing you can do for them!

Back to the journey.

I can’t really pinpoint the catalyst for my lack of writing. It could have been very well due to the fact I was writing for a living for a very well-known YouTube channel. We’re talking 5,000-6,000 words per day on various topics. By this time, my book, “The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater” was already written, and I was playing the waiting game for it to get published nearly a year later.

Then my mom passed. Writing did become part of my grieving process, but the content will never be seen by the public. Before my mom left this world, I already struggled with depression and anxiety to an extreme amount. I had also just had surgery to remove cancerous cells in a vulnerable part of my body. I was a wreck. And side note…the grieving process for a parent never ends. Even as I approach the fifth anniversary of my mom’s death, I still miss her…maybe even more so.

For the sake of avoiding gory details, my mental health took a dive. There were stories I wanted to tell, and knowledge I wanted to share, but I couldn’t get the words out. Then, responsibilities for my paranormal team grew exponentially, and I didn’t have the help to make it function the way the team wanted to. In short, I was burning out really quickly. Due to other things going on in my life, it wasn’t long before the words dried up completely.

It also didn’t help that I was surrounding myself with toxicity, and I didn’t see it. But it took a massive event to make me realize that my current situation was unhealthy, if not borderline unsafe. That was what made me realize I had lost myself and who I was. I also wasn’t taking care of myself both physically and mentally.

I also had to forgive myself and take responsibility for my own actions. I also had to cut myself some slack. Okay, a lot of slack. For the sake of my health and my existence, I had to start taking it easy on myself. Before I could even put words down on paper, I had to do this. I had to look at those in the eye who made me feel like less than human and say, “No more.” I had to put down boundaries and make decisions for my own benefit instead of that of others, because the latter was not only getting me nowhere, it was killing me.

It wasn’t long before the words came back. I started off simple; if I got 100 words per day, that was an accomplishment. Then, I built back up to about 2,000 words per day. It didn’t happen overnight. I also allowed myself to have breaks. I wasn’t competing with anyone, and I could finally write under my own [lack of] rules.

Before I knew it, my book was done.

So, here I am…another book out. My next writing adventure is diving into a world that I’ve spent years creating…and finally making that leap into fantasy. I can’t wait for you to meet these characters!

In the meantime, if you’ve ever wanted to check out ghost hunting, check out The Brave Mortal’s Guide to Ghost Hunting on Amazon!

Where Are the Leading Ladies in Ghost Hunting?

Alex Matsuo2 Comments

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.

RECAP: Ravens & Crows with Daryl Marston 11/15/18

Alex Matsuo
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/liveparanormal/2018/11/16/darly-marston-on-ravens-crows-on-liveparanormalcom

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!

How I Survived My First Paranormal Investigation with Diabetes

Alex Matsuo

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).

Amazing MUST KNOW Ghost Hunting Tips for Newbies

Alex Matsuo

Congratulations! You have decided to step into a unique world of mystery, suspense, and even a little spook. Probably one of the most popular questions I get as a seasoned paranormal investigator is, “I’m going on my first ghost hunt, what do I do?” I love helping people prepare for their first ghost hunt. It’s almost like a right of passage! If you google what to do for your first ghost hunt, you’ll find a lot of good stuff. I’m not trying to trump on anyone’s good advice. But, I do have my own little “to do” list that will help you have the best time you can have!

Respect

First and foremost, respect the location you’re investigating. Respect the deceased that you’re trying to communicate with. Follow the rules of the venue and the group that you’re in. The quickest way to get kicked out of a ghost hunt, let alone some angry spirit coming after you, is to be disrespectful.

Self-Assess

Before you commit to any sort of ghost hunt, you need to decide what you want out of the experience. Do you want to get scared? Do you want to learn some history? Do you want to try to find proof of the afterlife? Are you trying to contact someone in particular? Just answering simple questions like this can help you gain a better understanding of what you want out of the experience. If you’re someone who gets scared easily, read reviews of the location before you go. Read some of the legends and experiences people have had. Is this something you can handle? If not, perhaps looking into a more benevolent location might be better. If you feel you’re ready, then you know what your limits are and when to give yourself a break.

Know Where You’re Going

Being familiar with your location is key before going on a ghost hunt. If the company you’re working with wants to keep it a surprise until the night of, all hope is not lost. Ask them what kind of environment you’ll be ghost hunting in. Is it a house? Will you have to hike? Will you be outside? If there’s any part of the ghost hunt that will take place outside, then be sure you’re ready for whatever weather is on the forecast that night.  Not only that, but find out the conditions of the roads. There have been times I’ve almost damaged my car from driving on rugged terrain in my little sedan when my ride buddy had a jeep left at home.

If the location is going to be in the dark night in the woods, then flashlights are a must. Closed-toe shoes are also a must. Speaking of the woods, going through any bushes and trees will warrant wearing some jeans just so you avoid any poisonous plants. I also advise people to not wear all black if they can avoid it. I’ve heard of many ghost hunters getting hit by cars at night because the driver couldn’t see them since they were wearing all black.

Tech

This is another area where I get a lot of questions. I always tell people that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on equipment. Part of the ghost hunting experience is collecting evidence, or as I prefer to call it, data. It means you could be recording audio on a recorder, or taking a video of your experience. The one thing that people forget is that if you take in 4 hours of data on your audio recorder and 4 hours of data on your camcorder, you have 8 hours worth of data to go through. If data collection is what you want to do, that’s fantastic. But if the thought of this is daunting, there is nothing wrong with wanting to do tech-free just so you can have that experience.  Some of the earliest ghost hunters only had a pen and paper to jot down notes.

Pack Smart

If you’re going on a ghost hunt that will last longer than 4 hours, you might need to pack some food provisions to get through the night. Everyone will usually default to packing sugary snacks and caffeinated drinks. However, that will cause your blood sugar to spike, and then you’ll experience a crash…which will be counterproductive if you want to stay up for several hours. Protein-filled snacks, veggies, and water will be necessary to get through the evening.

Food aside, packing flashlights, batteries, and a first aid kit should be in any ghost hunter’s survival kit. Even if the location is indoors, you never know when you might get a scratch or miss your footing and get injured.

Sleep

Getting enough sleep is essential to enjoying the ghost hunting experience. Sure, eventually you’re going to get tired. But if you push yourself beyond being sleepy, you will start to see and hear things that aren’t really there. Sleep deprivation can cause some interesting hallucinations and can be similar to the feeling of being drunk. It could compromise your ability to understand your surroundings. Something simple and logical could get interpreted as something paranormal. If you feel tired, there is no shame in taking a cat nap. I try to get at least eight hours of sleep the night before an investigation along with a nap during the day.

Research

This can go in two different directions. Some people want to research the location as much as possible before an investigation. They do this so that they know exactly what is going on at a haunted location. They will know the names of who is reportedly haunting and be able to use contextual questions to establish communication. Meanwhile, other people don’t want to know anything before going in. This is so that they don’t “taint” themselves with previous information. Many with psychic abilities may opt to do this.

Abilities

If you feel like you have psychic or mediumship abilities, then you’ll need to prepare for another aspect. Numerous times, I’ve noticed people get overwhelmed during an investigation. When I talk to them to try to help them, they reveal to me that they have abilities and they got overwhelmed by the experience. To avoid this, if you’re completely new to the world of having abilities, I recommend that you learn how to ground and shield. There are some great articles to help you learn this.  Having the best understanding of your abilities before your ghost hunt will be key to you having a good ghost hunting experience.

Ask the Right Questions

With each ghost hunt, you’ll probably hear a few suggestions for questions to ask. But, there is a trick to asking the right questions that will create a welcoming environment for communication. You want to keep the questions simple, but also smart. One of my pet peeve questions is, “Do you know you’re dead?” Something as simple as asking for a name is better. Knowing the history of the location in terms of important dates in its existence (ie: wars, presidential inaugurations, world events, etc.).

Stacking questions can create problems as well. That is when you ask several questions in the same stream of speaking. An example of a stacking question would be, “What’s your name? Where are you from? How old are you?” If asked by themselves, these questions are fine. But asking them in the same line of questioning, it will result in confusion. Finally, be sure to leave 10-15 seconds of silence after each question to give the entity time to produce an answer.

Be Safe

At the end of the day, you want to be safe. That is the number one priority in any ghost hunting experience. You don’t want to try anything that could compromise your health and safety.  You have most likely signed a liability release form, which means that if you get injured, then you’ll have to cover those expenses yourself. While it may be tempting to climb into the attic or ignore the “Keep Out” signs in order to explore another part of the haunted house, a lot of things could happen. The floor might give out, you might inhale bat guano, or you encounter an unexpected injury. Ultimately, you want to put safety first.

If you have any other tips for a successful ghost hunt for a newbie, please share them in the comments!

Death: A Faithful Companion

Alex Matsuo

You would think that after surviving a car accident over 10 years ago, I would be well aware that one could die at any moment. But instead, I think that accident made me feel immortal in a way. What were the odds I would survive that accident? I should have died. But I got by with several broken bones, a surgery, and months of physical therapy. Yes, I had a weird experience on that night, but that’s a story for another time. Anyway, I hadn’t thought about my own death that much. Even when I’m looking for ghosts, that’s someone else’s death…not mine.

For some reason, in 2013, as if that year wasn’t messed up enough already, it hit me.

I’m going to die someday.

With this newfound fear, and yes it is a fear, it has changed the way that I approach paranormal investigating. First, I really REALLY want that confirmation that there is life after death. Second, when I pass I want someone to talk to me like I’m a person and not a blip on a gadget. Third, I can feel death looming around me when I’m investigating or in some location where a lot of death has taken place.

I’m not saying that death is a conscious being that is following me around. But there has been a consistent vibe that I’ll feel when I’m in a location that has seen a lot of death. The vibe has been the same from the time I walked into my mom’s trailer after she died to visiting a location like Old South Pittsburg Hospital where people passed. I even get that feeling when I’m a Duke sometimes, knowing that there are people dying every minute and there are bodies in the morgue.

I visualize death as a personification of the life I’ve lived. As I survive each day, a page is added to my book of life. I see death as this faithful companion who is with me and on my mind each day; reminding me that it’s waiting for me.

Of course, I was also raised Christian and taught to believe that we will indeed survive and go to heaven once our time here is over. I want to believe it…I truly do. But between my interactions with some not-so-perfect Christians and seeing how unfair life can be (example: kids dying from cancer), I question my faith all the time. If there is a heaven, awesome. If not, what is waiting for us? In this case, death is the door…the door that remains unlocked and is waiting for us to open.

I just hope it’s not nothingness and ceasing to exist. But, I feel like it is likely identical to falling asleep. You don’t know you’re asleep, and you’re not aware of yourself. You don’t remember when you fell asleep, just like we will likely not be aware when death finally does come to collect the debt.