; Phantoms and Monsters: Pulse of the Paranormal

Monday, February 28, 2011

Recounting the Pontianak

The following are a few archived Pontianak reports that I have accumulated over the years. In Indonesian and Malayan folklore, the 'Pontianak' are women who died during childbirth and became 'undead', seeking revenge and terrorizing the living. I have many of these stories and personal witness accounts...so I will occasionally post a few if there is continued interest by the readers:

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Towards the end of my national (Singapore) service, my service support group was sent in to the new SyangKong Camp to prepare stores for the in-coming battalion for their reservice.

I was in charge of 20-odd of them. They were on unfamiliar grounds as most of them did not have full basic military training because of their medical condition.

SyangKong Camp is in the middle of reclaimed Tekong. It sits on a sandy/rocky terrain, flank by rubber plantations. The camp was made up of series of single level barracks spread across the field surrounding a center square. Its big enough to house one full infantry battalion. So our first impression when we reach there was, it was a big and empty camp.

Those 20 odd storeman got down doing their stuff, equipping each barrack with the necessities. Foldable beds, pillows, blankets...the list goes on.

Soon after, once everything is in place, they all got back to their barrack. It was a long barrack with windows on the longer sides and entry at both end. There was a double door and a steel gate on the outside.

It was around 8pm and it was already dark. They were all resting. Listening to their MP3s, squinting their eyes on their PSPs. Some rowdies were playing outside. Taking photos on top of a stationary bulldozer, basically just enjoying the time in the middle of the jungle with no officer to scream at them and with only a sergeant who couldn’t care even if they kill each other.

I was too tired to entertain them. After giving them the last instruction for the day, I dozed off on my bed. Strangely, I dreamed of the exact same barrack that I was in. In my dream I was lying on the exact same bed looking on as my men run around the bunk from end to end in total chaos. They were all terrified. The door was opened but the gate was closed. Soon amidst the chaos, I saw a woman in a white cloak with a long hair. The face was horrible but I can never remember how to describe it.

She was a Pontianak...a classic blood sucking bitch who is apparently dead and alive again to struck shear fear in every Malay's life. (I personally think she’s over-rated, but she got her credentials.)

So that explains why the guys are running around in chaos. ‘She’ was flying above our barrack, circling the roof top, jumping from each end to the other trying to gain entry into the barrack. Only the gate was in her way.

So that was the dream I had. It sounds stupid, didn’t it? But it was scary as it was in the middle of Tekong, and having your brain corrupted by the constant stories of Pontianak since you were young. I woke up in a sweat. It was barely an hour since I dozed off.

The barrack was still lighted. The guys who were on their PSP and MP3 had already dozed off. Those from outside had came in. There was an unusual silence amongst them. The doors were shut. I could sense something was wrong. I turned to my man beside me and told him my dream. He kept quiet and went on to sleep. That night, I tried to put myself to sleep. I managed to after awhile. Unexpectedly, it was a sound sleep.

Next day, the man whom I told the story, told me that while I was sleeping earlier last night, they sighted a Pontianak on top of the bulldozer.

As the battalion came in the next day and continue their training for the week, there were a few other happenings and sightings which was more disturbing.

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This story may sound a bit silly, a bit lame even, but I swear it is true!

My friends and I had decided to watch a movie at the Mall. The movie was “Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam”. Its quite a new movie, maybe you’ve heard of it?

Anyway, the Mall (yes, that’s the name of the shopping complex. Imaginative huh?) is built right in the middle of the a busy commercial district, the town center you might call it. It;s brand new, completed just this year, and as far as I know, no supernatural going-ons have happened in the area.

Anyway, as I was saying, we were watching the “Pontianak” movie, the late night showing. I happened to be at the end furthest from the aisle. The few seats from mine to the wall were all empty.

In the middle of watching the movie, my neck felt stiff. You know how that feels right after staring up at the movie for quite a while? So I stretched out, turning my neck from side-to-side to get rid of the stiffness.

To my shock, the empty seat beside me was no longer empty! There was a lady in a white dress with long black hair sitting there, seemingly absorbed in the movie! I turned back to the movie, frozen in terror.

I couldn’t stand it anymore and was about to go crying to my friend (who was sitting right beside me but didn’t seem to have seen something strange). I glanced back at the extra person, but she was gone! I went crying to my friend anyway. She didn’t believe me, but didn’t mind switching seats with me. Needless to say, I wasn’t very much interested in watching the movie after that. I mean, who needs a movie when you’ve seen the real thing?

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This happened when I was on the way back home from work. At that point of time, I was working at Boat Quay as a chat operator. So usually we knock off at 3am. My in-law was staying at Tiong Bahru. Sometimes my hubby would fetch me from work and we would walk all the way to my in-law's place. As our normal routine just like when we were still dating, we like to travel by foot (considering its not that tiring to walk to the destination) and talk about lots of things.

Narrow things down, we reach this 4 block area where it's just 4 story high or 5. Can’t clearly remember. Rumors said that the HDB wants to pull it down but now I see that its being made as a rental place.

So before we reach Tiong Bahru Plaza, we will pass by this place. A few metres before we reach this block, (this happen before the HDB carried out the renovation to upgrade this vacant 4 story block. So it's really run down and been years nobody actually live there) I popped a question to my hubby, "Isn’t it scary to look at this building? It's been vacant like years and I’m sure there’s like 'those things' in there..a lot!". Wile talking, my hubby eyes was fixed to the 3rd story of this building. I tap him gently and ask him what is he looking at.

He turned to me and ask me to look straight. "Sorry sayang", he suddenly said. "Why are you apologizing to me"? I ask. He then answered "Thanks to me, now that thing is already at the bushes across the road. Just don’t look now. Just now, that pontianak was at the 3rd story looking at us. Thanks to me looking at her back, she knows that I spotted her and now she is walking the same line as us just that she’s across the road".

I turn my head slowly and fix my eyes right at the bushes. True enough, there is no wind and nothing across the road (it"s just metres away...so near) the bushes are rustling and moving. It seems like someone or something is walking behind or in the bushes parallel with us, following us from the other side. I calm myself down and just walk straight.

I was praying hard that we would reach home quickly but thanks to the shoes that I'm wearing, I have to go slow (it's a new shoe, so yeah). All of the sudden, my hubby grabs my bag and hand, he pulled me and we both ran. I was clueless at that time but in my mind I did have this thought, "is that thing behind me? Chasing us and wanting to kill us?"

We finally reach a bus stop and sat down. Hubby said it's safe. I really needed to sit down after that dash. Being impatient, I ask my hubby to explain why the sudden dash. Hubby insisted that we reach home and talk about it. Back at my in-law's he explains.

"I saw that thing from the 3rd story while you were talking. At first it didn’t see me looking at it. Then the Pontianak spotted me looking at her. So it was like too late for me to pretend that I never saw her at all. I thought that the Pontianak would just stand and look but she suddenly came down and followed us from the other side. The reason I pulled you was she was about to show herself because I saw the Pontianak emerging from the bushes. I saw her white dress and black hair already so I rather we ran than having you see her that close up".

Since then, whenever I pass the building then and now, I never want to look at it. It just reminds me of the incident. Even now, since the renovation, trying to walk past the building at night, I walk at the back of the building. Who knows what you may see or even meet.

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This guy named Ismail was returning home from his cousin's house as it was during the Hari Raya. I think it was 2 years ago. His cousin's house was in Yishun and he was heading to Pasir Ris that where he lived. While riding along Punggol, he was feeling strange all of a sudden. He continued to ride until there was a Malaysian plated motorcycle. When they were side by side, this old Malaysian guy turned to him and then speed faster. Ismail didn't care and just kept on riding until he was again riding side by side with a old man. He was riding a Vespa motorcyle. The old man turn to look at Ismail and again the old man speed faster. Ismail thought that he wanted to race.

After a few minutes, he looked at his side mirror as he felt as if there was someone riding behind him. He look at the mirror and saw a white dress. He again looked at the mirror and saw a woman with long black hair and then it strikes him that there was evil riding behind him. Ismail says “I did not disturb you and you please...do not disturb me”. He was in total fear!

When he reach a junction at Pasir Ris, he was getting ready to stop at a red light. This 'thing' pulled near and began to laughed. Ismail didn't care weather it was a red or green light, he just sped off until he reached home. Without even taking the key and parking at the correct spot, he rushed to his house. Reaching his house, he tells his elder brother what happened. His brother said he was lying.

They both get on their motorcycles together...Ismail rode behind his elder brother. When they see the motorcycle, the Pontianak was sitting and smiling at them. Ismail scolded his elder brother for not believing him. His brother quickly shouted prayers and the 'thing' was gone. Ismail rushed back home leaving his brother alone.

When the brother reached his way home, he scolded Ismail for leaving him alone, "what if the thing attacked me." Beware riding your motorcycle alone at night.....

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One Friday night, all of my friends and I are chatting at a nearby coffee shop. It was a boring night, one of my friends suggested we go clubbing at Boat Quay but we ignored his suggestion. I suggested to have some fun with the spirits as it was the HUNGRY GHOST FESTIVAL.

We planned the things that we needed, e.g joss sticks, candles, apples and a comb. We proceeded to the destination planned. Upon reaching, we set up all the things we bought. The candles were used to make a pentagram and we put the joss stick around us. Together there were 6 of us including one girl. We were suppose to sit at every end of the pentagram and one person in the middle. The girl sat in the middle and she was supposed to comb her hair while chanting some spell.

It`s almost midnight and we started to chant the spell my friend taught us. After a few minutes nothing happen. I started to feel that its a waste of our time. I got up and kicked all the candles and joss sticks, and walk away. Suddenly it happened. The girl who was combing her hair started to scream. She ran towards me and started to bite me. At first I thought she playing around but she wasn’t. My friends tried to pull her away from me but to no avail. Then she released me and started to say words that we could not understand. My friend who is a religious type, started to chant some prayers and the possessed girl started to scream again. The screams then began to fade and she fainted. All of us then witnessed a white object flying above the bushes behind us. We became alarmed, picked up the fainted girl and ran away to the nearest HDB block. From there we went back to our home.

I told my mother about the incident...she was so mad that the slap me on the face. She said that I had disturbed the resting place of a PONTIANAK. I swear to myself not play with spirits again. As for the girl she knew nothing about what had happened to her.

This really happened at Serangoon Park Connector.

NOTE: there are lots of Pontianak tales and legends. The following are a few of my personal favorites:

 
‘Pontianaks’ or vampires are basically the most notorious group of paranormal entities and their popularity is evident through their portrayals in horror films and fiction movies. In this story, Ahmad, a man in his mid-twenties, claims to have encountered these strange entities while driving home from Tutong Town. This unfortunate incident triggered months of restlessness and paranoia but yet here, he recalls the sequence of events leading up to that fateful night as he faced his worst nightmare.

Driving down the highway, Ahmad tried to adjust his focus and eyes on the road as fatigue and lethargy took control of his body. The long working hours at his new job had taken its toll and left him practically exhausted. After several failed attempts to keep himself awake, Ahmad finally gave in and decided to stop at the side of the road to get some shuteye before continuing his journey. As he turned to make a stop, his eyes caught sight of a strange looking ‘object’ in the middle of the road that seemed to resemble a log but simply shrugged it off as nothing out of the ordinary. However, as Ahmad peered closer at the weird object, he could make up some facial features but it was too dark to tell whether his imagination was beginning to run wild. Despite the warning which echoed in his mind to ‘run away’, he simply refused to steer clear of whatever was on that road.

Curiosity got the better of him and he took out a torch light out of the glove compartment to investigate what it really was. As Ahmad approached the ‘object’, it laid so disturbingly still as if waiting to strike. He suddenly stood frozen in his tracks as the ‘mysterious object’ lifted its head slowly in his direction and let out an ear-piercing cry. Fear overtook the very core of Ahmad’s mind and he knew instantly what the ’strange’ object was. He struggled to summon his inner strength to face the terror staring him right in the eye. “This was something that you could only see in horror films,” Ahmad said. He watched the terror unfold as the paranormal entity, commonly known as ‘pontianaks’ to the locals, crawled to the side of the road and began creeping towards a lamp post. Within split seconds, it swiftly moved towards him and all he could do was recite prayers to ward off the spirit. The ‘pontianak’ stared at him intently before disappearing into thin air. The memory of such a disturbing image, till this day, seems difficult to erase and has changed his philosophy on the existence of paranormal entities.

“I think it’s a good idea to share my experience with fellow readers on this issue. Whether they choose to believe it or not, is of course up to them. However, this is not something you simply make up. It took me quite a while to try and forget this horrifying incident but I decided to instead use it as a lesson in life,” he said before concluding his story.

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Legends of old have it that an individual who possesses a fragile spirit will most likely encounter supernatural entities and although no evidence of such a claim exists, some have unfortunately experienced it firsthand for reasons they cannot phantom. This story revolves around an American expatriate who was kind enough to share his ordeal before leaving the country for good.

David loved Brunei and considered it as his second home. He even planned to settle down with his then fiancé living in Kuala Belait and thus, frequently traveled back and forth to visit his better half. Working in a highly demanding field, which required every ounce of his expertise, commuting from the capital to the Belait District daily was painstaking and inconvenient but he longed to put a balance between his work and fiancé. Days and sometimes, even months at a time, the pressuring demands of his career began to take its toll on their relationship.

One fateful night, they got into a heated argument and his fiancé threatened to commit suicide. After several attempts to call her hand phone, which went unanswered, he grabbed his car keys and drove hastily to Kuala Belait. “Please answer the phone, please,” David pleaded. He then began blaming himself should anything unforeseen happen to his fiancé and could not imagine life without her.

He then approached the one-lane road and focused on the dark, eerie highway, where no street lamps were erected. Suddenly, the radio reception started to deteriorate and David simply thought it was due to the location. A few minutes later, the car engine began to quiver and decelerate from 120 to 80km/h. “What in heaven’s name could possibly go wrong now?” he exclaimed as it was a brand new car. “Do not break down here please, of all places!” David said while glancing around at the pitch-black darkness without a single soul in sight.

He pulled himself together and tried to dismiss all negative thoughts coming to mind. As he attempted to lean on the arm rest, David caught sight of what seemed to be a ’shadow’, in the corner of his eye. Without thinking, he turned to confirm his worst fear and indeed, there was a weird ‘figure’ sitting beside him in the front passenger seat. The entity’s long black strands of hair covered its face as ’she’ repeatedly let out a blood-curling laugh. Shivers ran down his spine and a thousand thoughts raced through the businessman’s mind. Given the fact that he is a free-thinker, no religion or prayers could save him then as he knew none. David thought of calling someone, practically anyone but his phone was in the middle of the dashboard. Terrified that the ‘entity’ would grab his hands, he continued driving, hoping, praying that a street lamp would appear with some visible ’signs’ of life.

A few minutes on, David’s instincts sent a warning jolt through his body. He could sense that the ’spirit’ was staring at him and his heart raced with sheer trepidation. Straight ahead, visible strokes of light could be seen and he stepped on the gas pedals hoping to reach the area before something happened to him. That seemed to only make things worse.

With the streetlights, he could clearly see his ‘uninvited passenger’. The events that followed would remain embossed in his memories forever. The ’spirit’ extended its arms to grab his shoulders. He immediately stepped on the brakes and ran out of the car. David refused to turn around for fear that ‘it’ was nearby but decided to fight his fear after remembering his fiance.

“After I saw it was gone, I went back into my car and drove off like never before,” David said. After reconciling with his fiance, he retold his frightful story and later discovered that the entity was in fact, a Pontianak. “This has altered my complete outlook in life and I now refuse to travel anywhere alone if it’s 3 in the morning,” he said while giggling but behind the laughter, the impact of that encounter could be visibly seen through his eyes.

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SEARCHING FOR THE PONTIANAK - SINGAPORE PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS

The Malays' belief in ghosts is perhaps the most interesting. They seem to have categorized the ghosts into different types and each was given a special name. The most violent and fierce ghost in the Malay version is perhaps the 'Pontianak', otherwise known as 'Hantu Kontilanak' among Indonesians. Pontianaks are actually the Malay version of a vampire. They kill and tear their victim's body up to suck their blood. They use long nails to shred open the abdomen, and feed on the intestines inside the body. Very disgusting. Another version of attack is swiftly dig out the victim's sex organ when he leaned near to her.

Over the past years, SPI had collected a wonderful batch of stories (some with witness' account) regarding this mythical beast namely Pontianak. Most of them are quite drastically incredible like those you read from those bedtime ghost story books. Some archetypes are however summarized as follow for your reference:

1. Lady figure in white was seen near the trees
2. Flower fragrance was smelled in cemeteries
3. A white figurine flew pass from tree to tree
4. A lady ghost was seen singing on a tree branch
5. Pontianak hiding inside a banana tree, etc, etc..

Nevertheless there are some good stories obtained as first-hand information from the witnesses who dare to stand up and testify the stories. The accounts are somewhat more credible than those hearsay you got from elsewhere.

For example:

(1) We have a SPI fan who is an ex-police cadet. During his training in the Mt Pleasant camp, his supervisor told him that there are cases of Pontianak encounters in the forests near the police academy. They are of course classified cases and the supervisor seriously warned the fellows not to walk near the forest at night.

(2) A SPI member, before joining, had witnessed the existence of Pontianak at Mt Pleasant cemetery with his other friends.

(3) A young girl called Lina, who claimed to be the daughter of a bomoh, insisted that Pontianak did exist according to what her father told her. When she was about 9 years old, she saw a Pontianak during her father's summoning ritual.

With an open mind, SPI decided to find the truth behind such myth. We vowed to research, to explore and to investigate to the bottom of this legend. Since we started up SPI we have been collecting over dozens of accounts about Pontianak. By saying we keep an 'open-mind' that means we first not to believe or dismiss its truthfulness. We take our best efforts as usual to try verify whether Pontianak exist or not. If necessary, we are happy to debunk the myth by proving no such thing exist. Otherwise we will testify its real existence. There is only one aim in this investigation - solve the mysteries clouded around the legend of Pontianak. This is why SPI exists, and this is what we do. You can continue reading the investigation at SEARCHING FOR THE PONTIANAK - SINGAPORE PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS

Fortean / Alternative News: 'Bownessie' Hoopla, Peru Alien Video and Potomac River Lobsters


Windermere Hotelier Milking Every Bit of 'Bownessie' Hoopla

newsandstar - The hotelier had thought he and colleague Andrew Tighe were alone on the lake when, out of the blue, he suddenly realised something powerful was going past him.

Early morning conditions couldn’t have been calmer – with waters mirror-like – as the managing director of Windermere’s Langdale Chase Hotel continued his training for an English Channel swim, accompanied by Mr Tighe in a rowing boat.

“We were going across the deeps, the deepest part of the lake,” he recalls.

“It was really calm. Then, all of a sudden, I felt something go past the back of my legs. It felt like a cruiser had gone past.

“Suddenly, this wave then lifted me up. I stopped and asked ‘what the hell was that? Get me out of here’.”

Mr Tighe, the Langdale’s general manager, feared for his friend as the follow-up ‘bow wave’ rose.

He said: “Looking back at that morning it is all a bit surreal. I was most concerned about Thomas. I didn’t know what it was.”

The whole experience, between 6.45am and 7am on July 29, 2009, lasted about 30 seconds.

After the drama unfolded, the lake went back to being completely flat – with the men confused as to what had just happened.

At first, Mr Noblett, 48, thought a submarine had passed him – with the Ministry of Defence perhaps doing some kind of secret testing. He described the feeling as “awful”.

It was only after another colleague at the hotel overheard them talking afterwards, that the realisation that it could be something else struck.

“We didn’t know what it could be. We were chatting about it in the kitchen and our chef said there was a report of something being sighted in the lake,” said Mr Tighe, 35.

Their experience, along with other sightings, have left the pair convinced there is something in the waters.

“One hundred per cent. There is something in there,” Mr Tighe said.

His colleague added: “We were non-believers beforehand. We didn’t give it a thought before. I was more concerned that a pike would bite me.”

Speculation as to whether Cumbria could have its own Loch Ness monster-type creature in Windermere has grown in the past week after a photograph emerged of what looks to be a four-humped creature in the water.

It was spotted by Tom Pickles and Sarah Harrington, who were kayaking across the water. They captured the image on a camera phone.

Theirs is thought to be the eighth report of so-called Bownessie being seen in the past five years.

Mr Noblett, who has swam in Windermere hundreds of times, believes this latest sighting adds weight to what he and his colleague have been saying since 2009, adding: “We’re quite pleased about it. It shows we were not using this as self-publicity for the hotel, area or the lake.”

Sporadic sightings of the creature have been made since the 1950s.

Various descriptions have seen its size range from anywhere between 25ft and 70ft and of being snake-like in appearance.

Although there is the old Nessie theory of the creature being something prehistoric that has somehow survived in the lake, both Mr Noblett and Mr Tighe believe the creature is most likely to be a giant eel.

Other theories are that the “monster” could be a giant catfish or a large pike with the creature feeding off char

Since their experience, the hotel bosses have worked with north east-based psychic Dean “Midas” Maynard on trying to unearth evidence about what is lurking in the waters.

Today they will join him on a boat conducting a sonar search of the lake to see if they can spot Bownessie or any more clues about its existence, using 3D imaging equipment.

Another boat search with more passengers joining them will be carried out tomorrow.

But, with Windermere 10.5 miles long, one mile wide and plunging to 220ft at its deepest point, with various caves and shelves, Mr Noblett, who has been at the Langdale 20 years after working in Bermuda, Dubai and London, admits the search is the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Whatever they do or don’t discover, however, his view about whether there is a creature in the water will not change.

And the businessman has information that there are others who have has possible sightings, but haven’t wanted to speak out about them.

He added: “Some have said they are glad we have brought it up. One sailor has said it was like a side of meat turning over and going underneath. He didn’t want to tell anybody in case he was ridiculed.

“You’re always going to get two camps in whatever you do in life. The ones who don’t believe will boo-hoo everything. If they haven’t experienced it themselves, they will say it is an old wives’ tale.”

Many of those who are believers or have spotted something suspicious and believe there is something in the water are people who are completely serious about the lake.

“That has made our experience a little more concrete,” Mr Noblett said.

Dan Nield, 30, an operations supervisor with Windermere Lake Cruises, will be among those on the boat searching the lake tomorrow.

He admits the speculation about what may be in the lake is interesting, but is a sceptical of whether there is a “monster” in there.

“Everyone loves a mystery. It would be nice if there was something out there, but I’m a sceptic,” said Mr Nield, who spends his working day on the lake.

“Some have said there are big catfish in there. They can grow as big as a couple of metres in length. Others have said it could be a string of otters. It’s interesting. The picture that came out last week surprised me. Lots of people have been asking about it, but whether it brings more tourists to the area, I don’t know. I wouldn’t think it would do tourism any harm.”

There’s no doubting that the intrigue surrounding what may lurk beneath the waters of Windermere could be lucrative.

A whole industry has spawned from the mystery at Loch Ness, with a visitor centre, souvenir shops, television documentaries and even a Hollywood film staring Ted Danson.

Cumbria Tourism bosses, whose headquarters are on the shores of the lake, say they are as keen as anyone to establish “whether the Bownessie phenomenon is fact or fiction”.

A spokesman added: “The truth is Windermere and Bowness are incredibly popular destinations and don’t need gimmicks to get people to visit.

“Nonetheless, at the start of the tourism year, it doesn’t do the industry any harm to have this kind of profile around the world.”

Mr Noblett believes Bownessie could become a visitor attraction.

“It will attract a different type of visitor. You are going to get people who say we don’t need any more tourist attractions here. They are the non-believers,” he said.

“But it can only help the businesses and the infrastructure of Cumbria. This is a happy story versus the catastrophes of the last couple of years in west Cumbria.

“People think Cumbria is an island. When the bridge went down in Workington they thought they couldn’t get in. It’s just the British way of thinking.”

Mr Tighe, the Langdale’s general manager for the past four-and-a-half years, also believes interest in what may be in the lake his high and added: “Most of our guests are interested.”

Executives at Windermere Lake Cruises, whose boats ferry people to stops up and down the lake, are not convinced Bownessie exists, but believe passengers will enjoy trying to spot it. They are offering a golden ticket prize of a year’s free cruises for anyone who captures a picture of the beast from one of their boats.

NOTE: Previous post - Bownessie Rears It's Ugly Humps Again...Lon

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Whaaa? Lobsters found in Potomac River

wtop - Frankenfish with claws? Lobsters. Yes, lobsters have been seen in the fresh waters of the Potomac River.

The lobsters have been seen at Leesylvania State Park.

"It's definitely something you don't see everyday," says Kendra McMurray who saw them over the weekend.

"The odd thing is they were in perfect formation, lined up on the sand along with blue crabs and huge clams. It was puzzling to say the least.

"There were some feisty crabs out there, and at least one of the lobsters were still living when we approached them. My main concern was that their claws were free," McMurray tells WTOP in an e-mail.

Virginia state biologists say somebody is obviously releasing the saltwater crustaceans into the water.

Park rangers tell InsideNova it's a Chinese custom to release crustaceans back into the water after the new year.

The lobsters, likely released live, died once they were put in the water.

State biologists say there's concern the lobsters could carry parasites that would survive and cause disease in the river.

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Cheetah military robot can outrun human beings

tgdaily - Boston Dynamics is working on two new robots for DARPA - one agile humanoid and one designed to outpace the fastest human runners.

The Cheetah robot is modeled on its namesake, with four legs, a flexible spine and an articulated head and neck - it may or may not have a tail, says the company.

The company says that not only will it be faster than any human being, but that it will be faster than any existing legged robot too. It will be able to make tight turns and accelerate rapidly - 'starting and stopping on a dime', the company says.

Based on the same control software and mechanical and electric systems as the company's other robots, Boston says the robot will be able to use momentum to bridge gaps, for example throwing or swinging itself from one set of handholds or footholds to the next.

Meanwhile, the humanoid Atlas robot will get about mainly on two legs, although it will also be able to use its hands for support and balance.

"Unlike Honda's Asimo and most other humanoid robots you've seen, Atlas will walk just like a man, using a head-to-toe walking motion, long strides and dynamic transfer of weight on each step, says Rob Playter, Atlas principal investigator and vice president of engineering.

"We have already achieved some advanced behavior in Petman, an anthropomorphic robot we developed for the Army, so Atlas can get a leg up on the problem by leveraging the Petman results."

The company says that both robots will have applications beyond the military, such as in emergency response situations and advanced agriculture.

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Gravedigger Stole Body Parts To Make Ashtray Pipe

hungzai - Police say a gravedigger stole body parts - including a skull and a thigh bone - from a broken casket at a church cemetery and took them home to make an ashtray.

“While he was digging a grave, a casket was broken open, so (investigators) believe he took the body parts to make an ashtray and a pipe,” Police Lt. Kevin O’Brien told the Sentinel Enterprise of Fitchburg, MA.

Police discovered the theft when they went to his apartment Wednesday after his wife complained that her husband, Keith Chartrand, killed her dog. She said she found the body parts among his belongings.

Police charged Chartrand, 30, with removing a body from a grave and cruelty to animals.

Fitchburg District Court Judge Arthur Haley III ordered Chartrand held on $50,000 bail at a court hearing on Wednesday where Chartrand told the judge the charges against him was “bogus.”

Chartrand’s lawyer, Martin Maynard, did not immediately return a call to The Associated Press on Thursday.

The Rev. Edward Chalmers of St. Bernard’s Cemetery said he believed the remains probably were taken from an older part of the cemetery where many graves did not have vaults.

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Video: Peru Alien?

Don't know what to make of this one....


Click for video

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Paranormal / Spiritual News: Night Gallery, Ghostly Tasmanian Asylum and Haunted Costa Rica

Queensland's Night Gallery

dailyexaminer - Along with a beautiful, heritage-listed location and a renowned collection of artworks, it seems Grafton Regional Gallery can now boast another drawcard – its very own resident ghost.

Members of the Queensland Paranormal Research and Analysis Group (QPRAG) recently conducted a night time paranormal investigation at the gallery's historic Prentice House in Fitzroy St based on reports from visitors and volunteers of ghostly occurrences there over the years.

After going over hours of data collected on the night from video cameras, digital voice recorders and electromagnetic field (EMF) meters, the results are in and the team believe they have found strong evidence of paranormal activity.

“Our conclusion is the gallery is rated a Category: 2 (Paranormal Activity captured but no visual evidence),” said Chris, one of the investigation team leaders.

This means the data gathered by the group ticked many of the boxes indicating paranormal activity, except for the holy grail of ghost-hunting – capturing an apparition on video or camera.

However, what the team did get were several digital sound recordings containing what they believe is Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), which is unexplained recorded sounds or voices.

The team sent these recordings to The Daily Examiner.

One of the recordings contains a male-sounding voice clearly and commandingly saying “go!”, while another contains what also sounds like a male voice saying something unintelligible.

These recordings turned-up on digital sound recorders placed near the gallery's staircase, which became a focal point of the overall investigation.

The team has ruled-out these voices coming from its own members, with the recordings being made either during a lock-out period on the night when the entire team was waiting outside the gallery, or in the case of one recording, during a period where two members were inside, but sitting in complete silence.

Along with the voices, Chris said several unexplained bangs and scrapes were recorded; irregular EMF activity (which is believed by ghost-hunters to indicate paranormal activity) was noted, and; two video cameras positioned inside the gallery were inexplicably turned off while recording, despite having plenty of battery power left.

The power switch on one of these cameras was actually found to have been physically turned to the “off” position, but no one was anywhere near the camera at the time.

Chris said a combination of these incidents, and others, led the team to the conclusion there was indeed paranormal activity at the gallery.

She also said the gallery investigation had proven to be one of the team's most eventful.

“Now that we've reviewed all the data, I think it's probably one of the best ones; it's the most we've ever picked-up in one night,” she said.

“That's the thing – you can be on a site for three hours and not pick-up anything, but with the gallery, we've got at least half-a-dozen things which are questionable – we have no explanation for them.”

Chris said the South-East Queensland-based QPRAG team was keen to return to Grafton soon and had its sights set on historic Schaeffer House, which is said to boast a ghostly tale or two of its own.

To celebrate the QPRAG team's findings, youngsters will soon get a chance to do some ghost-hunting of their own at the gallery, with day-time children's ghost tours to be held during the April school holidays.

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Tasmanian Mental Asylum's Haunted Reputation

abc.net.auIn the Tasmanian town of New Norfolk stories about apparitions, strange sudden smells and unearthly happenings at the site of the former mental asylum have been circulating the local community and more recently the internet.

A former mental health hospital, Willow Court has unofficially become a drawcard for people who believe in the supernatural.

Now the Derwent Valley Council is determined to find out once and for all if there is any truth to the stories.

Councillors recently voted in favour of a paranormal investigation in at least two of the wards still standing.

A team of three from the Australian Paranormal Investigation Unit are now planning a two or three night stay in ward C and Alonnah that once housed the criminally insane.

Decommissioned by the Tasmanian Government in the 1990s, some of the wards have been knocked down to make way for development. Others are still empty - trashed by vandals.

Glenn Hevey, Nick Jarvis and Aiden Sullivan have long held an interest in Willow Court and the supernatural.

"I've loved it all my life," former New Norfolk boy Nick Jarvis said.

"What spurred my interest even more was the paranormal side of Willow Court and almost on a daily basis I've been getting reports of people seeing things and hearing things."

Three years ago, the three young men decided to get serious and set up the Australian Paranormal Investigations Unit.

They contacted the local Derwent Valley Council and the small team of ghost busters were given official council approval to investigate three wards that once housed the criminally insane.

"We went through the appropriate channels went through council, the committee endorsed it and it was voted on and approved. So it was a long process and we're pretty happy to be in that position," Mr Jarvis said.

The three men are certain there is a spiritual presence at the site, but believe it or not they have never had the camera when a spirit has appeared.

"When I was driving down the main avenue here at Willow Court, I was driving over some of the speed humps and the headlights shone on a white apparition figure," Mr Jarvis said.

This time they are determined to record a presence.

"We've got voice recorders to capture electronic voice phenomena, including static or stray noises. We've got electromagnetic field metres to hopefully capture any presences. We've got cameras, and we've got temp guns which we use with temperature readings to work out if there are any temperature spikes or drops," Mr Jarvis said.

Sceptic Leyon Parker wishes the team luck, but holds little hope for success.

"I think it's a waste of time," he said.

"I suppose people can choose to waste their time any way they like. If these people want to waste their time looking for ghosts that don't exist it's not my job to tell them they shouldn't do that."

To be convinced he says he would need "photographic evidence, there would have to be electronic recordings of some sort, the clearer the better, probably accompanying eyewitness accounts and it would certainly help if there was a sceptical mind there at the time this occurred".

There are some people in Tasmania hoping no such evidence is found, in fact they would prefer if Willow Court's history as an asylum for the state's mentally ill was not dragged up.

Locals have never been keen to admit having a relative at Willow Court, a family secret often considered more sensitive than a person's convict ancestry.

For that reason there are some councillors who are against a paranormal investigation.

Barry Lathey believes the asylum's more recent past should be left alone.

"I think this site is a bit too close to the people that were incarcerated in here and I think it would have, or may have, an adverse affect on their families," he said.

Former Mayor Tony Nicholson worked at Willow Court many years ago.

With strong memories of the patients, he believes the supernatural investigation is disrespectful.

But the ghost busters say finding a spiritual presence at Willow Court could silence the sceptics and have economic spinoffs for the area.

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Haunted Costa Rica

thecostaricanerws - During the last few years, there has been an increased interest in ghost hunting, both in the United States and worldwide. Shows such as Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures-to name just three-have sparked a flurry of spirit seekers to visit locations reputed to be inhabited by people who have traveled over to “the other side.” Costa Ricans-expats and locals alike- also seem to have caught the ghost-hunting bug. So the question arises: Where can you find haunted locations in Costa Rica?

Perhaps the best-known location for paranormal activity is located within the shadow of Irazu Volcano. Some 38 miles from San Jose, near Cartago, is the Sanatorio Carlos Duran. Driving from Cartago, as you head toward Irazu, follow the road to the left which heads to Prusia and you will find it there. Dr. Duran felt that the location and the climate would make a perfect place to treat patients stricken with tuberculosis and leprosy and so, in 1915, he built the hospital.

Throughout the years, the sanatorium/hospital was transformed from a medical facility to an insane asylum and, for a time, also served as an orphanage. However, the Colossus of Costa Rica, as Irazu is known locally, decided in 1973 that Dr. Duran’s hospital had run out of time. The 1973 volcanic eruption forced the hospital to close once and for all-at least for the living.

Residents in and around Cartago have long reported spectral encounters throughout the hospital grounds. Ghost Hunters International, a spinoff of the popular Ghost Hunters show on the American SyFy channel, made Dr. Duran’s sanatorium one of two Costa Rican locales that were investigated. Encounters range from sounds, feelings of sadness, shadow images, and items being tossed out of the patient’s rooms. One of the more persistent stories is that of an image of a nun who is seen on the grounds. Perhaps she is tending the sick in the next world, much as she did in this one.

The town of Cartago is also home to a famous ghost tale. In Parque Central, Cartago, you can visit Las Ruinas de la Parroquia -a spot where churches, of one type or another, have stood since 1575. Legend has it that in the 1800s, a young priest fell in love with his sister-in-law and had a scandalous affair. The affair was discovered by his brother, the mayor, who killed the priest in a jealous rage. Soon after the murder, the original church was destroyed during the earthquake of 1841. It was then rebuilt and almost immediately after completion, it was destroyed again in the quake of 1910. An earthquake continually halted all attempts at reconstruction of the church, prompting the townsfolk of Cartago to give up on reconstruction, deducing that the grounds were evil and haunted. Although only the outer walls of the building remain, visitors tell of a headless spirit who continues to roam the church grounds.

The other site, which the Ghost Hunters International team investigated, is San Lucas Island. Though inhabited by various indigenous groups since roughly 1000 A.D., the island is best known for its infamous prison. Prior to its construction in 1873, under the orders of Tomás Miguel Guardia Gutiérre, it was used by the Spanish as an internment camp for natives who were subsequently killed at the site of their ancestor’s burial grounds.

During its tenure, San Lucas had a reputation as both one of the most dreaded prisons in Central America and as the final destination of some of the most horrific criminals in Costa Rica. Murderers and rapists were intermingled with political prisoners and, as might be expected, many perished. There are countless stories of torture and of the suffering of those sentenced there. Among the many ghostly encounters recorded is that of a nurse who was reportedly raped and killed by the prisoners while she was treating them. It is said her ghost can be found in one of the holding cells which has two drawings of a woman-allegedly made with her own blood.

San Lucas is now a national park and there are several tour companies offering the adventurous the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the ancients and of the ghost hunters.

For those seeking a more inviting location to check out the paranormal, a visit to the beach at Playa Grande is recommended. Rumored to be an ancient burial and ceremonial site of one of the long forgotten tribes who lived in the region, Ticos and non-Ticos alike have reported various ghostly encounters. At the very least, there is the sun, the sand, and the ocean which can certainly compensate for a lack of paranormal activity.

Costa Rica also has its’ own version of the banshee. Although she is known throughout much of Central and South America, La Llorona (the Crier) has a unique Costa Rican identity. Maria, (the Crier’s name) apparently got involved with someone while she was married and had his child. In despair, she is said to have thrown the baby into the river before taking her own life. She wanders the length and breadth of Costa Rica, usually near water, looking for her lost child and crying a warning to those thinking of having an affair.

Ghost hunting in paradise? Why not? It’s just another facet to explore in this green and beautiful land of Pura Vida.

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THIS WEEK'S PARANORMAL / SPIRITUAL LINKS

A sceptic of the supernatural turned ghost-buster

Australian to chronicle family’s ghostly encounter

Black Diamond Cemetery pictures show some spooky images

Ghostly Playmate

Life is just a great big poltergeist

Looking for the Ghosts of My Ancestors in New Orleans

Which Haunted Hotel to Stay at in New Orleans?

Do Ghosts in Haunted Hotels Give Guests Privacy?

Can your dreams predict the future?

Paranormal Activity in Zanesville

Suspected haunting at downtown Toledo restaurant

Walk Among The Dead

Fortean / Alternative News: Pleiadian Contact, Psychic Photography and Air Force UFO Directive Revealed

'I was contacted by the Pleiadians'

MUFON CMS - Ohio - March 16,2006: I WAS IN MY ROOM, THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL STORM OUTSIDE, OUT OF NOWHERE THIS INTENSE ENERGY PERMEATED MY ROOM, I was standing at the time watching television,I heard and felt this low humming sound, I was literally knocked on my ass, everything in my room was alive with light and overwhelming energy,suddenly the television screen changed, there I was me on t.v. then words started forming, You are a dragon, monkey! Again out of nowhere like watching a movie superimposed over my own reality I was literally shown the creation of life on our planet, a fish crawling out of the water and all the offshoots of the species, the tree of life.I have never felt such fear in my life! I can only explain this next scenario as thought transference. Words started coming in my brain, like a computer being downloaded with information,they said to me, do not fear little one, You are God, we live in you as you! For the next 3 weeks I was in lucid state of awareness, being shown the secrets of the cosmos. After that my battle for life had begun. I have lost all my hair and have scars like burns all over my body. They conveyed to me that they are testing something on me they called nanomolecular technology. They are here waking us up one by one! The collective event December 21, 2012. when all knowledge of the tree of life will be revealed. What is really crazy is that I was raised Catholic, you have no idea of how difficult this was and is for me, this went against everything I was taught. I suffer silently. Who will help me? I know there is something inside of me. I feel like molten metal, I can literally see the light inside of me, I was imbued with the power of a vemana! I have so much information, please help me, I am on the edge. I am willing to undergo any testing so the truth can be told. I have seen amazing things, so much more than I can state here. Please help me,so I can help others with this new paradigm. I am on the edge. please, please, help me! A child of the light. Ninette Testa

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Book bound in human skin goes on display

BBC - When Devon murderer George Cudmore was sentenced to hang at the Lent Assizes in 1830, he knew that part of his sentence was that his dead body would be taken to an Exeter hospital to be dissected.

What he probably was not aware of was that a chunk of his skin would eventually be flayed, tanned and used to cover an 1852 copy of The Poetical Works of John Milton.

The book is now housed at the Westcountry Studies Library in Exeter.

It will go on show to the public for the first time on 26 February as part of Devon's annual Local History Day.

An inscription in the front of the book states whose skin it is and his crime.

Cudmore, a ratcatcher from Roborough, was convicted of killing his wife Grace by poisoning.

He was hanged at the Devon County Gaol - on the site of the current Exeter Prison - on 25 March 1830.

"We don't really know why the skin was retained or, indeed, where," said Tony Rouse, senior assistant librarian.

"It must have been kept somewhere until 1853 when it was used to cover the book."
Inscription in front of book bound in skin The book is inscribed with information on whose skin it is made from

While binding books in human skin is not common, it is not unusual, says Mr Rouse.

The practice is known as anthropodermic bibliopegy and seems to have been most popular during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Many of the first books covered in human skin were medical books - the skins were primarily from amputated body parts and unclaimed corpses.

Occasionally, as in the case of Cudmore, the skin of executed prisoners was used.

"It sounds grim but if I gave you the book to hold and didn't tell you what it was covered in you would never know, it just looks like normal leather," said Mr Rouse.

And although no-one knows for sure who covered the book there are some theories it was Exeter bookseller W Clifford, as his bookseller's ticket was discovered in the front of the book.

The bookplate in the front of the volume shows it was once part of a Mr Ralph Sanders' library, which was probably donated to the Exeter City Library, eventually ending up in the Westcountry Studies Library.

This year's local history event has a crime and punishment theme and as well as the book, the Exeter witchcraft trials and executions and the sites of the gallows in the county are up for discussion.

"I would really encourage people to come and have a look," said Mr Rouse.

"It's not been on display before and it's really not as gruesome as it sounds, although it is certainly one of the more unusual items we have here."

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This ghostly glimpse of a "Double Decker Bus" is among the images captured on Polaroid film by Ted Serios using his psychic powers.
Thoughtographs: Psychic Projections/Photographic Impressions

explorehoward - An unusual photography exhibit at UMBC's Kuhn Library Gallery prompts you to wonder whether reality is more than a simple black-and-white affair.

"Psychic Projections/Photographic Impressions" concerns a scientific study conducted during the 1960s. A Chicago bellhop, Ted Serios (1918-2006), claimed he was able to use psychic energy in order to directly place his mental images onto Polaroid film. A Denver psychiatrist, Dr. Jule Eisenbud (1908-1999) undertook experiments to test that claim.

Studying several hundred photographs that he called "Thoughtographs," Eisenbud became convinced that Serios truly had paranormal powers. Although the UMBC exhibit strenuously remains neutral in this matter, the exhibited photos sure do make you wonder what produced them.

Much of the exhibit is devoted to documenting how these photos were taken. Serios typically would sit in a room, rest the camera on his knee, and then take a sequence of photos of his face.

Many of the resulting photos apparently just show the facial and room details you would expect, and many others simply printed as either a blurry all-over white or a blurry all-over black.

Although the exhibition texts could do more to explain the nature of these so-called "whitie" and "blackie" images, these non-images are not really where the paranormal aspect kicks in.

What's exhibited at UMBC are mostly dim and indistinct pictures in which isolated objects can be seen amidst the murky backgrounds.

Some of these images have such a ghostly quality that it's not exactly clear what you're seeing, but others are sharply defined. They amount to dark-edged, solitary portraits of the Chicago Water Tower, Big Ben in London, a double decker bus, a windmill, a castle, a station wagon and more.

Serios said that he did not see these images in his mind before actualizing them on film. Instead, he would concentrate, point the camera toward himself, snap photos, and then somehow produce images of objects that in most cases existed hundreds of miles away.

Quite a few of these images depict the objects from the high angle one would expect if one somehow were floating through the air in a kind of dream state. There's a picture of the Denver Hilton, for instance, that shows the hotel from just such an elevated perspective.

Skeptics obviously wondered whether the camera-wielding Serios deployed some sort of trickery. Besides allowing Serios to take his own pictures, Eisenbud and his colleagues often held the camera themselves. They would stand at least a few feet from Serios and only then take photos of him. Sure enough, ghostly images still popped up.

There was an, er, spirited debate within the scientific community as to what in the world (or in the other world) was going on here. Magazines and TV news programs of the era also gave coverage to this dispute.

Serios produced the last such photo in 1967. Appropriately enough, that final shot depicts what look like living room curtains. His further attempts to mentally cast images reportedly only resulted in all-black or all-white results. It was curtains for Serios.

You'll walk through this exhibit with plenty of questions and no definitive answers. The question that I pondered more than any other relates to the fact that the hard-drinking Serios often drank as much as four or five quarts of Budweiser during the prolonged photographic sessions. Why don't any of the exhibited photos depict a brewery?

NOTE: this is a local exhibit though it may be presented in the future at a location near you. Very interesting subject....Lon

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Air Force revision of UFO regulations revealed

paranormaloldpueblo - On February 27, 1960, United Press International (UPI) reported on the revision of Air Force regulations related to UFOs.

Admiral Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, quoted in the article below, was the first director of the CIA. He also served on the board of governors of the National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) from about 1957 until 1962.

AIR FORCE ORDER ON ‘SAUCERS’ CITED
Pamphlet by the Inspector General Called Objects a ‘Serious Business’

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (UPI) An Air Force spokesman confirmed issuance of the directive after portions of it were made public by a private “flying saucer” group. The new regulations were issued by the Air Force inspector general Dec. 24.

The regulations, revising similar ones issued in the past, outlined procedures and said that “investigations and analysis of UFO’s are directly related to the Air Force’s responsibility for the defense of the United States.”

Committee Reveals Document

Existence of the document was revealed by the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena.

The privately financed committee accused the Air Force of deception in publicly describing reports of unidentified flying objects as delusions and hoaxes while sending the private admonition to its commands.

Vice Admiral R. H. Hillenkoetter (Ret.), a committee board member and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said in a statement that a copy of the inspector general’s warning had been sent to the Senate Science and Astronautics Committee.

“It is time for the truth to be brought out in open Congressional hearings,” he said.”

The Air Force confirmed that the document had been issued. A spokesman said it was put out by Maj. Gen. Richard E. O’Keefe, acting inspector general at the time, to call attention to revised Air Force regulations concerning unidentified flying objects.

The statement was included in an “operations and training” pamphlet circulated at intervals to bring commands up to date.

Pentagon aides said the new regulations covering seven printed pages, made no substantive change in policy but had been rewritten as a matter of course.

The Air Force has investigated 6,132 reports of flying objects since 1947, including 183 in the last six months of 1959. The latest Air Force statement, issued a month ago said, “no physical or material evidence, not even a minute fragment of a so-called flying saucer, has ever been found.”

Admiral Hillenkoetter said that “behind the scenes, high-ranking Air Force officers are soberly concerned about the UFO’s.”

“But through official secrecy and ridicule, many citizens are led to believe the unknown flying objects are nonsense,” the retired admiral said. He charged that “to hide the facts, the Air Force has silenced its personnel” through the issuance of a regulation.

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Notorious Quebec cult leader Roch Thériault killed in jail

montrealgazette - The RCMP has arrested a 59-year-old inmate after the death on Saturday of notorious cult leader Roch (Moses) Thériault.

Thériault, who ruled a commune in Quebec and Ontario in the 1970s and '80s with as many as 12 wives and two dozen children, was found dead in his jail cell Saturday morning after an apparent assault.

There was evidence he was attacked in his cell at the Dorchester, N.B. detention facility, Correctional Service of Canada spokesperson Etienne Chiasson said. The service and the RCMP are conducting an investigation, Chiasson said. Thériault was found dead at 9:10 a.m.

Thériault, 63, was sentenced to life in prison in 1993 after he was found guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of his wife, Solange Boislard. Thériault killed Boislard while trying to disembowel her with a kitchen knife during a cult ritual.

He had been a resident at the Dorchester prison, a medium-security facility, since 2000, Chiasson said. Although some of the 456 inmates there do share prison cells, Chiasson would not say if Thériault was sharing a cell at the time of his death.

NOTE: an interesting post on Theriault's prison life - Cult Killer Roch Theriault's Artwork For Sale...Lon

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Dybbuk Possession

I came across several interesting stories recently while reading about Jewish mysticism and rituals. I decided to look further and discovered references to the 'Dybbuk'. To my surprise, much of what is described in Judaism and the Kabbalah in relation to spirits and possession correlates directly and more precise to the spirit rescue work that I have recently undertaken. I would like to share some of this with you...

A dybbuk (pronounced "dih-buk") is the term for a wandering soul that attaches itself to a living person and controls that person's behavior to accomplish a task. The word "dybbuk" is the Hebrew word for "cleaving" or "clinging," and having a dybbuk is not always a bad thing for the human host...though, in most instances this is not the case.

In the Roman Catholic view, a person can succumb to a demon or devil that takes over their body, and the only cure is an exorcism to drive the demon out. In the Jewish faith there is no belief in demonic possession though there can be a possession of a living person by the soul of one who has left the body, but not the world. This soul is seeking a body to possess in order to take care of unfinished business.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, a bad spirit is described as attaching itself to King Saul, the first chieftain of the ancient tribes of Israel. Later, the prophet Elijah is possessed by the spirit of a dead man in an attempt to persuade the prophet into maneuvering the King into a war.

According to ancient Hebrew tradition, demons are beings not much different than humans but were created in the twilight of creation after the humans and right before the end of creation. They are neither of our world, nor of the other world, but a part of both.

The concept of the transmigration of souls developed and found serious followers during the Dark Ages, and by the 12th century it became an established part of the Kabbalah. The 16th century schools of mysticism embraced it. When Hasidism developed, the belief took final hold.

The first form is the Gilgul, which is the Hebrew word for 'rolling,' but means, in this context, the transmigration of the soul. Generally, it is represented as a natural sequence in the life of the soul and simply enters the body at birth, just as the infant is about to leave the mother's body, and prepares to live whatever normal life span has been allotted to it.

The second form of transmigration is the Dybbuk, a disembodied spirit possessing a living body that belongs to another soul. The earliest description was that they may be nonhuman demons...later it was assumed they were the spirits of persons who have died. The dybbuk may be the soul of a sinner, who wishes to escape the just punishment given to it by the 'angels of the grave' who seek to beat them, or to avoid another form of soul punishment...which is wandering the earth. A dybbuk may seek revenge for some evil that was done to it while it lived. The dybbuk may be lost and enter a body simply in order to find a rabbi who would be able send it on it's way. The living host may or may not know that a dybbuk is occupying their body. There may be torment towards the host but this depends on the intent of the possessing soul.

The third form is the Ibbur. The Hebrew translation of the word means 'impregnation.' Ibbur is the most positive form of possession, and probably the most complicated. It happens when a righteous soul decides to occupy a living person's body for a time, and joins, or spiritually 'impregnates' the existing soul. Ibbur is always temporary, and the living person may or may not know that it has taken place. Many times the living person has given consent for the Ibbur since it is always benevolent. The departed soul seeks to complete an important task, to fulfill a promise, or to perform a Mitzva (a religious duty) that can only be accomplished in the flesh.

If the dybbuk is able to encounter a rabbi while possessing a living host, then an exorcism ritual can be performed. The Jewish exorcism ritual is performed by a rabbi who has mastered practical Kabbalah. The point of the exorcism is to heal the person being possessed and the spirit doing the possessing. This is a stark contrast to the Roman Catholic exorcism that is intended to drive away the offending spirit or demon. The intent is to heal the soul that's possessing and heal the person. The ceremony is done on behalf of both.

In some cases, there is a positive aspect to a dybbuk. On occassion a spirit will seek out a person in a time of need to help. This second type of possession is called 'sod ha'ibbur,' which is Hebrew for 'mystery impregnation.' This is a good possession simply because this is a spirit guide. The spirit of someone who has struggled and overcome what you have struggled with and can't overcome will be lent to you from the spirit world to possess and stimulate you, and help you overcome misfortune and what it has been able to in its lifetime. When it's tasks are done and you've managed to achieve what you need in your life, it leaves you.

Some people reach high pinnacles of achievement and they may fall into deep depression. This can be explained as the loss of that spirit. There's a sense of loss, and it's misinterpreted as depression. If the person eventually realizes that, they can be thankful that they had a spirit guide to help them. They need to continue to lift up their own spirit for the remainder of their life.

The concept of dybbuk recognizes that our physical world and the spiritual world can intertwine for both positive and negative reasons. If those intersecting reasons are negative, there is a healing process to mend the collision so both the possessor and the possessed can move on.

NOTE: There have also been times when a dybbuk can haunt or infest an inanimate object, for example the Dibbuk Box, a supposed haunted wine box that has brought terror and regret to several owners over the years...Lon

Sources:
www.ghostvillage.com
www.metro.co.uk
www.britannica.com
www.myjewishlearning.com
www.mythencyclopedia.com
learnkabbalah.com

Friday, February 25, 2011

Searching For Ireland's Banshee

The Destination Truth team will be searching for Ireland's infamous Banshee in a four-hour live event on St. Patrick's Day, Thursday March 17 at 7/6c.

The Banshee, from the Irish bean-sídhe ("woman of the síde" or "woman of the fairy mounds") is a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld. Her Scottish counterpart is the bean shìth.

According to tradition, the Banshee can only cry for five major Irish families: the O'Neills, the O'Briens, the O'Connors, the O'Gradys and the Kavanaghs. Intermarriage has since extended this select list. Individuals have described the Irish Banshee in numerous ways. Many describe this mythical creature as a young, beautiful woman. Then, there are some that describe the Banshee as a matron. In some tales, the figure who first appears to be a Banshee is later revealed to be the Irish battle goddess, the Morrígan. The hag may also appear as a washer-woman who cleans the blood stained clothes of those who are about to die. Although not always visible, her mourning call is heard, usually at night when someone is about to die and usually near woodlands. The Banshee may also appear in a variety of other forms, such as that of a crow, hare and weasel, most any animal associated in Ireland with witchcraft. Banshees are frequently described as dressed in white or grey, often having long, fair hair which they brush with a silver comb.

In 1437, King James I of Scotland was approached by an Irish seeress or banshee who foretold his murder at the instigation of the Earl of Atholl. This is an example of the banshee in human form. There are records of several human banshees or prophetesses attending the great houses of Ireland and the courts of local Irish kings.

The Irish Banshee, according to the people of Ireland, may come in the form of one of many different animals. This is partly due to the fact that the actual female version of the Banshee is not always seen in that form, however, several animals have been said to emit the same sounds as the mythical creature makes when forewarning of tragedy. This sound is called the "Mourning Call". In some cases, no animal or female figure is seen, but the call can be heard coming from the dark, mysterious depths of the forests located throughout Ireland.

The Banshee of Ireland is a very interesting legend. All throughout history, there have been accounts regarding the sightings of this mythical creature. Is she real? There is no physical evidence apart from witness accounts and tales passed from one generation to another, but for those in Ireland, this is a very real mythical creature. For the rest of us, it is truly one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

The term banshee is an anglicisation of the Irish bean sídhe or bean sí, or the Scots Gaelic bean shìth, – both meaning “woman of the fairy mounds” or “woman of peace”

One of the Banshee Legends

There was an Irish gentleman who had a beautiful daughter, strong and healthy, and a splendid horsewoman. She always followed the hounds, and her appearance at the hunt attracted unbounded admiration, as no one rode so well or looked so beautiful.

One evening there was a ball after the hunt, and the young girl moved through the dance with the grace of a fairy queen.

But that same night a voice came close to the father's window, as if the face were laid close to the glass, and he heard a mournful lamentation and a cry; and the words rang out on the air--"In three weeks death; in three weeks the grave--dead--dead--dead!"

Three times the voice came, and three times he heard the words; but though it. was bright moonlight, and he looked from the window over all the park, no form was to be seen.

Next day, his daughter showed symptoms of fever, and exactly in three weeks, as the Ban-Sidhe had prophesied, the beautiful girl lay dead.

The night before her death soft music was heard outside the house, though no word was spoken by the spirit-voice, and the family said the form of a woman crouched beneath a tree, with a mantle covering her head, was distinctly visible. But on approaching, the phantom disappeared, though the soft, low music of the lamentation continued till dawn.

Then the angel of death entered the house with soundless feet, and he breathed upon the beautiful face of the young girl, and she rested in the sleep of the dead, beneath the dark shadows of his wings.

Thus the prophecy of the Banshee came true, according to the time foretold by the spirit-voice.


The Scream of the Banshee

Ireland's Infamous Banshee - Destination Truth Live : New Season

Join Josh's team and special guests as they search for Ireland's infamous banshee in a four hour live event on St. Patrick's Day. Thursday March 17 at 7/6c.


The Banshee - Pagan Ireland

The Banshee

"Who sits upon the heath forlorn,
With robe so free and tresses torn?
Anon she pours a harrowing strain,
And then she sits all mute again!
Now peals the wild funeral cry
And now... it sinks into a sigh."


Another Banshee Legend

In about the middle of the nineteenth century lived the Reverend Charles Bunworth of Co. Cork. Mr. Bunworth became deathly ill. His wife was not too worried because it looked like his health was improving.

A servant of the household knew his master was going to die. He heard the dreaded wail along with several others. He tells his story;

“As I came through the glen at Ballybeg, she was along with me screeching and keening, and clapping her hands, by my side every step of the way, with her long white hair falling about her shoulders, and I could hear her repeat the master’s name every now and then as plain as ever I heard it. When I came to the old abbey, she parted from me there, and turned into the pigeon field next to the berrin ground, and folding her cloak about her, down she sat under the tree that was struck by lightning, and began keening so bitterly that it went through one’s heart to hear it.

Mrs. Bunworth dismissed this as superstition because her husband's health was getting better.

A few nights later a low moaning accompanied by the sound of clapping was heard outside of Mr. Bunworth’s window. Two men visiting the house immediately ran outside to find the source of the sound. They found nothing and heard only silence. Meanwhile the people still in the house kept hearing the wailing and moaning and clapping. This continued for hours. All the while Mr. Bunworth began slipping away. He was dead by the morning.

This just goes to show you that once someone has heard a banshee, death is not far behind.

Why the Legends?

It is believed that the myth of the Banshee developed due to the Irish tradition of the lament; women would sing a lament for the dead at funerals, and for some in the village, this song would carry through the air and become the first signal that someone had died.

These funeral singers were known as “keeners”, and their services were highly prized. From the natural honoring of the dead, the legend of the Banshee began.

As time passed, the myth of the wailing Irish spirit became more colorful and supernatural.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

More UFO Witnesses - Sandia Mountains, New Mexico

Kirkland AFB is in the area of the black circle. The witnesses observed the craft NE of their location toward Sandia Peak which is represented in the area of the red square

Hello,

I stumbled across your site while researching Kirtland Air Force Base, and read the account of a UFO sighting over Sandia Peak. My husband and I witnessed an object eerily similar to the object described. Prior to contacting you, I went over the details with my husband to make sure the details I provide are accurate.

My husband is active duty military and at that point we had been stationed here for 3 years. I am a night owl/insomniac and spend a lot of time outside both late night and early morning. The front porch faces SE but the large opening on the porch provides a very clear view of the NE.

Many evenings I would sit and watch the planes come in to land at the airport and had a pretty good idea of how long it takes to get from the mountain. In addition, eventually I would hear it and see the wing tip lights as well as the main light would appear to get brighter than smaller as the plane turned towards the airport. My husband on the other hand, has quite a bit more experience with flight, he is a crew member on the c-130’s. He can tell distance airplane/helo type just from sound flight pattern, etc.

Anyhow, my husband nor I remember the exact date but we have guestimated the first week of December due to the fact we had put our Christmas lights up that week and had been outside often in the evenings. On this particular night sometime between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. My husband and I were outside admiring and discussing the decorations, and determining whether we needed to purchase more, when I noticed a bright light exactly between the two lights on the peak. Initially, I thought it was a plane and didn’t pay much attention to it, glancing at it every now and then as my husband and I talked. Finally, I interrupted my husband saying, look at that light it isn’t moving. Now at this point, this was the first he had seen and it shrugged it off as a plane. I then explained that I had been watching it while we were talking and it had not moved at all in the past 2-4 minutes. So he proceeds to talk to me but I’m now focused on this light and ignoring him which draws his attention back to the light. We continued to watch the light for approximately 10 minutes and it did not move. It was a clear night and the shadow of the mountain peak was clearly visible in reference to the object along with the two lights on the peak. There was clearly no horizontal or vertical movement. There was no sound, no additional lights associated with the object. It did appear to twinkle but that may have been my eyes trying to focus because it was a very subtle flicker. I finally was to cold and decided to go inside, the object was still there.

This is the first experience I have had since I have lived here, and I must say I have no idea what I seen that night. My husband also cannot come up with an explanation. Though this isn’t his first time experiencing UFO’s. His first time was with a crew of 7 flying over Afghanistan.

I wonder if the object my husband and I saw is the same object. I cannot be sure what the object was that night but I do know that this base is a strange place to live.

Thank You,
S&C

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The inquiry was made in reference to this post:


MUFON CMS - Albuquerque, NM - 12/5/2010 - unedited: About 3:45 or 4:00 a.m. on 12/5/2010 I opened the sliding glass door on the north side of our house to let my dogs out to relieve themselves and out of the corner of my right eye I saw a bright white light so I turned to face it and observed what appeared to be a very bright, circular white light above the horizon of the Sandia Mtns. In the background of sky there are in fact two bright yellowish lights that are visible every night; both on the crest of the Sandias and apart from one another and this light was "centered" and above them and the sight of it appeared to be a triangle with the yellow lights of Sandia Crest on the left and the light of the Sandia Peak Tram house on the right forming the "base" of the triangle along the Sandia Crest and the bright light forming the peak of the triangle at the top. I started to dismiss my initial sighting of the light as the moment when an aircraft turned on it's landing lights and I must have seen it as it was moving towards me.... so I waited to see if it would turn toward the south to Albuquerque International or westward to Double Eagle. It seemed peculiar to me that it was taking entirely too long for any "aircraft" to reach me; the night was perfectly quiet, there was no jet engine noise or prop noise, there were no strobe lights or red and green wingtip lights, no automobile noises to muffle the sounds that should have been there. I looked closely at the white light and observed that it seemed to flicker somewhat along the edges and "wobble" side to side and up and down, but it certainly was not getting any closer to my location... it was just up in the sky shining brightly... hovering as it were and then as I watched the light IT WENT OUT! It just vanished completely from my sight! The night was still perfectly quiet and there were no sounds, and there were no strobes or red and green wingtip lights that I could observe, and no competing automobile noises as I listened for some jet engine noise or propellers beating the air like a helicopter or airplane would. There was no sound. I was stumped. I didn't know what I had seen and I certainly couldn't identify it either. As my dogs were coming back in I couldn't help looking toward the Sandia Mountains for one final look and just as suddenly as it had disappeared, it REAPPEARED in the very same area it was before!! Wow!! It was there, I didn't imagine it. Where had it gone and where did it come from? It was now clear to me that there was a very real, very curious event indeed going on and I was a witness to it. I observed the same behavior as before but then as I watched the light rotated from pointing straight toward me to my left and faced to the north. It remained there and looked like a cone. A cone of white light with the smaller end facing south and the wider end facing north. I am not sure how long it remained this way, it got dimmer and bright again and again and as I was observing the "cone" of bright light the entire cone rotated back to it's left and faced westward again. It continued to brighten and dim somewhat for several minutes I started to think it was similar to the lights over Phoenix, but only one light here, and then, as I watched, it just went off like someone flipped a switch; and as I looked at the place where the incredibly bright white light used to be, there was now what appeared to be a glowing "ember" that was colored yellow and grew steadily smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared completely and I saw it no more.

NOTE: the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, NM have a history of UFO sightings and other strange incidents. Below, I have posted some examples...Lon


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Incidents Around Albuquerque / Manzano Base, NM



NOTE: I received the following information from a reader:

Lon

Re: your recent article: Photos: UFO Lights Morphing / Readers Respond to Grapevine Canyon, CA Sighting, I may have something else for you.

This first part wasn't my personal experience, but I was listening to Coast to Coast am on Friday Night when Ian Punnett was hosting Open Lines for George Noory. The first caller, a man named James from 'New Mexico,' (whom I believe was probably from Albuquerque, based on much of what he said he saw), said that a black, rectangular shaped 'aircraft' overflew the Sandia Crest summit from west to east, at the very top of the Sandia Mountain range, which is located in Albuquerque. It then headed out towards Edgewood, a small town on the East side of the Sandia Mountains, approximately 25 miles or so from Albuquerque. At this point, all the power where the TV and radio towers are located on the summit, the Summit Restaurant, and a 'small' residential area, went out for a period of time.

He didn't say anything else, and no one else called in to verify this sighting. So I don't know if anyone saw anything else, or how long the power was out. But I do know that if those towers were without power, then essentially, Albuquerque was without a communication network, since many of the cell phone and other communication-related towers are up on the summit, as well. That's TV, radio, telephone, Internet and Cable at least. EVERYTHING was down for a period of time. No doubt there's redundancy, but that is some powerful equipment, and when they go out, the grid winks out and locks up. I've seen it happen standing on 9 Mile Hill on the West side of Albuquerque when the lights of the entire city winked out one section at a time like a wave. During that particular incident, the WHOLE city was affected. No traffic lights, few back-up power generators (though many more now, which is why the power outage seemed restricted to a 'small' area), and even the hospitals had a difficult time functioning.

I lived in Albuquerque twice, once for 10 years, and later on again for 6 years, so I'm very familiar with the Sandia Mountains and that entire area. I am also aware that the military portion of the Albuquerque Sunport, takes up the section of the runway that abutts the Manzano Mountains and is east of the air traffic control tower.

Although from my understanding, it has always been considered fictitious, at one time there was another Air Force Base at the foot of the Manzano Mountains (though I suspect it's still there, based on the proliferation of sightings, even since it was supposed to have been closed down), south of the Sandias on the south side of Interstate 40 (the old Route 66). My father was stationed at Manzano AFB in 1965, right before he 'retired.' I can assure you it was there, since I was on it several times, and it was supposedly used to house ... various things, including a few top secret programs/projects, one which involved experimental and possibly other types of (i.e. back-engineered) craft. It's now rumored that the Roswell disc or parts of it (including... J-rod) were at various times located in some of the hangers and inside a false mountain at Manzano.

Btw, in case you haven't heard of it, Manzano Air Force Base was located to the East of Sandia Army Base which took up the SW portion of the base from the Wyoming Gate, heading south, and which is located on the North side of all 3 bases, as was Sandia Army Hospital, which has also, since been closed down. Because my father was in the Air Force, we lived in base housing off of Perimeter Drive located on the West side of Sandia Army Base, just south of the Louisiana Gate; our back fence was located to the North of the edge of the military portion of the airport runway from where my mother and I often watched various supposedly top secret military aircraft maneuvers from the early to late evening.

A side note: My mother was also ex-Navy, as well as a cryptographer, though I have no 'official' confirmation that she was with Naval Intelligence, I can only assume that she based what she told me about some being experimental craft, some not from this earth, on many things she and my father were involved were over the years. Regarding what we saw landing and taking-off from the military airport, although It became more difficult to see as the evening wore on, more often than not I COULD see shapes of craft which were either outlined by lights or had other visible means of delineating the silhouettes. Several times I also saw a triangle-shaped craft which appeared black against the evening sky and had a light at each point of the triangle. Again, experimental US military? Back-engineered? Don't know. They didn't say.

Other points of which you may or may not be aware: Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base are located in Albuquerque. Los Alamos National Labs is located approximately 60 miles to the NW of Albuquerque. Dulce/Archuleta Mesa is located in Northern New Mexico, on the Colorado border. There have always been sightings in New Mexico, especially Albuquerque. I've seen many myself. Just recently a young boy on one of the Native American Reservations near Albuquerque was attacked in a parked car by something he claimed was an alien. Whatever the creature was, it grabbed him, leaving claw marks down the boy's arms. Fortunately, his father and a sibling, I believe, heard him yelling, and showed up just in time to scare the creature off. They don't know what it was, but it wasn't anything they'd ever seen and it appeared reptilian/alien.

Additionally, Albuquerque seems to be the headquarters, or at least very large and critical centers for several military projects, like Project Pegasus, Project Talent and others. If you haven't heard Andrew Basiago's interview with George Noory on Coast to Coast Exopolitics.com, you might want to check out the video (video has since been removed), with his premiere interview being done by Alfred Lambremont Webre of Exoplitics.com. Note this article, too, if you haven't already read it: Web Bot: Andrew Basiago is predicted “planetary level” whistleblower for Mars life and time travel

I know how much work it takes to do the research for these newsletters and the blog. I applaud your dedication.

Blessings and Peace,
Kat

NOTE: the video below was from a recent MUFON witness report...Lon

Click for video
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Below is the official description of this facility

MANZANO BASE


Click image for larger version

The Armed Forces Special Weapons Command constucted two operational sites after World War II. One was known as Site Able, located in the foothills of the Manzano Mountains, just east of Sandia Base. The other base was Site Baker near Kileen, Texas. Construction on Site Able started in 1946, with the first operational facilities activated on 04 April 1950. Although activated in 1950, construction on the major facilities wasn't finished until 1961. On 22 February 1952, Site Able was renamed Manzano Base, and operated by the Air Force, while Site Baker was renamed Kileen Base and turned over to the US Army.

Portions of America's nuclear stockpile was stored in Manzano (the Spanish word for apple) Mountain for 40 years, and nuclear weapons are now secured in a modern underground complex at Kirtland Air Force Base. A presidential emergency relocation center was built deep inside Manzano Mountain as a command post for President Eisenhower. It retained this function until the advent of thermonuclear weapons, by which time it was no longer regarded as a survivable site.

In the early 1700s explorers visiting a small village on the eastern edge of these mountains discovered very old manzanos (apple trees), a tree not native to this country. No one knows where these trees came from, but the name stayed with the region.

Construction began in June 1947, and the facility became operational in April 1950. Under the top-secret project designated Operation Water Supply, construction crews carved out tunnels and blast-proof underground steel vaults to protect the small stockpile of atomic weapons. The first weapons stored at Manzano were the Mark 5, a first-generation atomic device which required assembly. The weapons were stored without plutonium, in reinforced concrete and steel bunkers throughout Manzano. Inside the complex, steel gates protected a hallway containing four chambers guarded with heavy safe door. Each vault stored a protective container called a birdcage, each of which enclosed enough plutonium for a single atomic warhead.

On 11 April 1950 a B-29 aircraft departed from Kirtland Air Force Base [Albuquerque, NM] at 9:38 PM and crashed into a mountain on Manzano Base approximately three minutes later killing the crew of thirteen. Detonators were installed in the bomb on board the aircraft. The bomb case was demolished ans some high explosive (HE) material burned in the gasoline fire. Other pieces of unburned HE were scattered throughout the wreckage. Four spare detonators in their carrying case were recovered undamaged. There were no contamination or recovery problems. The recovered components of the weapon were returned to the Atomic Energy Commission. Both the weapon and the capsule of nuclear material were on board the aircraft but the capsule was not inserted for safety reasons.

The Manzano Nuclear Weapons Storage Area was surrounded by a barbed double-fenceline (one of which was electrified) beyond which the concrete bunker entrances which span the base of the mountain range are visible.

In June 1992, the Manzano WSA was deactivated, including deactivation of the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Alarm System, and Phillips Laboratory assumed responsibility for its maintenance. SNL continues to provide minimum security, although the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Alarm System was deactivated with the termination of the main mission in 1992. Some of the old tunnels and vaults in the Manzanos still serve as storage. The Manzano WSA is currently being used in part for storage of a variety of items such as furniture and document boxes.

Source: www.globalsecurity.org

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Six Bodies From Roswell Crash Recovered By Sandia Army Base Team

.....there were two crash sites. One southwest of Corona, New Mexico and the second site at Pelona Peak, south of Datil, New Mexico.

The crash involved two extraterrestrial aircraft. The Corona site was found a day later by an archaeology team. This team reported the crash site to the Lincoln County Sheriff's department. A deputy arrived the next day and summoned a state police officer. One live entity [EBE] was found hiding behind a rock. The entity was given water but declined food. The entity was later transferred to Los Alamos.

The information eventually went to Roswell Army Air Field. The site was examined and all evidence was removed. The bodies were taken to Los Alamos National Laboratory because they had a freezing system that allowed the bodies to remain frozen for research. The craft was taken to Roswell and then onto Wright Field, Ohio.

The second site was not discovered until August 1949 by two ranchers. They reported their findings several days later to the sheriff of Catron County, New Mexico. Because of the remote location, it took the sheriff several days to make his way to the crash site. Once at the site, the sheriff took photographs and then drove back to Datil.

Sandia Army Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico was then notified. A recovery team from Sandia took custody of all evidence, including six bodies. The bodies were taken to Sandia Base, but later transferred to Los Alamos.

The live entity established communications with us and provided us with a location of his home planet. The entity remained alive until 1952, when he died. But before his death, he provided us with a full explanation of the items found inside the two crafts. One item was a communication device. The entity was allowed to make contact with his planet.

Somehow, I never knew this information, but a meeting date was set for April 1964 near Alamogordo New Mexico. The Aliens landed and retrieved the bodies of their dead comrades. Information was exchanged. Communication was in English. The aliens had a translation device.

In 1965, we had an exchange program with the aliens. We carefully selected 12 military personnel; ten men and two women. They were trained, vetted and carefully removed from the military system. The 12 were skilled in various specialities.

Near the northern part of the Nevada Test Site, the aliens landed and the 12 Americans left. One entity was left on Earth. The original plan was for our 12 people to stay 10 years and then return to Earth.

But something went wrong. The 12 remained until 1978, when they were returned to the same location in Nevada. Seven men and one woman returned. Two died on the alien's home planet. Four others decided to remain, according to the returnees. Of the eight that returned, all have died. The last survivor died in 2002.

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Large Unknown 'Animal' Attacks Boy

May, 2008 - A 5-year-old boy hiking with his family near Sandia Peak, New Mexico, has survived an attack from an unidentified species of large animal, a spokesman for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said Sunday, May 18, 2008.

Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White said the family was hiking near the popular Balsam Glade area on the Sandia Mountains, when the boy ran ahead of his parents. It happened on the east side of the Sandia Mountains around 7 p.m. Saturday.

A sheriff’s department report identified the boy as Jose Salazar Jr. of Albuqureque, New Mexico.

The boy’s parents saw the animal emerge from the brush and start dragging away their child, White said. The father then chased the animal, which let go of his son.

White said the animal was a mountain lion, but Ross Morgan, a spokesman for Game and Fish, said dogs trained to track mountain lions picked up no scent in the area Saturday night or Sunday.

Officials said they don’t know what kind of animal attacked the boy. They’re looking at the tracks in the area to find out if it was a cougar, mountain lion, or bear.

“The animal had the kid and was dragging him down the side of the hill. When the father jumped over there, the animal ran off,” said Ross Morgan, who works for the Department of Game and Fish.

“The dad described it as a short, stocky, dark brown animal,” Morgan said.

Morgan said hikers in the area Sunday were told about the attack, but the news did not deter them from hiking.

The Department of Game and Fish is warning people to be careful if they’re in the mountains.

Some people visiting the mountains on Sunday said they are aware of the dangers and are prepared for what could come their way.

“We have to expect that we’re going to come across animals,” visitor Rich Weiner said. “We’re in their habitat.”

But others who spend time in the Sandia Mountains, like David Czaplewski, said news of the attack has them shaken up.

“It’s shocking and kind of scary,” Czaplewski said. “We’re making sure we’re keeping track of where everyone is and looking around.”

Officials said everyone who is visiting the mountains should be extra careful, so they don’t become the next victim.

The boy suffered puncture wounds (bite marks) to his head, neck and back. He was in serious condition at University of New Mexico Hospital on Saturday, White said.

A hospital spokeswoman said Sunday the family declined to make the boy’s condition public.

NOTE: it was later determined that this was not a mountain lion attack. There was never a follow up to this incident. New Mexico authorities, as well as local police, have refused to release any information. The victim and his family have also declined to talk. In the two years since this attack no other similar incidents have been reported....Lon