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Saturday, April 27, 2013

Just the Facts?: Lough Foyle Monster? -- John Zaffis on BTE Radio -- Human Ear Found in Graveyard



Ireland Lake Monster in Lough Foyle?

Interesting video footage of 'something' in the waters of Lough Foyle in Ireland. The footage was shot by students making a fishing film called “Fishing with David Lynch” when the anomaly was seen breaking the waters surface. It seems to be quite large and even though there have been reports of whales in Lough before, I doubt that it's a whale. For years there have been stories told by locals about mysterious sightings often explained away by people saying it was whales or basking sharks. But some believe it may actually be a Loch Ness Monster type of lake monster in Lough Foyle.

Video: Ireland Lake Monster in Lough Foyle

Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World's Most Elusive Creatures

The Loch Ness Monster and Other Lake Monsters (Graphic Mysteries)


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This Week On 'Beyond The Edge Radio': John Zaffis - Paranormal Investigator & Demonologist / 'The Haunted Collector'


Join Eric, Lon and Sean as we present our friend and colleague, paranormal investigator & demonologist John Zaffis. Get ready for another interesting and entertaining broadcast at 'Beyond The Edge Radio!'

John Zaffis has over thirty-six years of experience studying and investigating the paranormal. He has had the opportunity to work for and with his aunt and uncle, Ed and Lorraine Warren. This sent John beyond looking for ghosts and hauntings and into studying demonology under the Warrens. This led into John's involvement with cases of possession and exorcism and working with prominent exorcists in this field. Roman Catholic priests, monks, Buddhists, rabbis and ministers. John has assisted and worked with well-known exorcists Bishop Robert McKenna, Malachi Martin and the Rev Jun.

His research has taken him throughout the United States, Canada, England and Scotland covering several thousands of cases. Through hands on investigating with other investigators and clergy, he has obtained a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the paranormal and is considered one of the foremost authorities in the field today.

Ghosts and poltergeists where among some of his first-hand paranormal experiences, as well as the demonic and diabolical. He has also worked extensively with both spiritualists and psychics concerning how their knowledge is used for channeling, reincarnation (past-life regression), or the calling of the spirits for information, and how they use meditation to acquire the information which they are seeking. Because of his personal experiences with hauntings, ESP, near death experiences and other paranormal activities, he is firm in his conviction that such phenomena exist.


Follow John and his team at The Haunted Collector on the Syfy Channel

John has been featured in the Discovery Channel's documentaries A Haunting in Connecticut and Little Lost Souls. John has also appeared on Unsolved Mysteries, Fox News Live, and many other print and news media events. John is also in the books of Ed and Lorraine Warren Graveyard: True Hauntings from an Old New England Cemetery and In a Dark Place John's first book, Shadows of the Dark co-written with Brian McIntyre, was released in September, 2004. John is working on multiple follow-up books currently, and is lecturing all over the United States at colleges and universities. The John Zaffis Paranormal Museum opened in 2004 and displays hundreds of artifacts collected over John's years as a paranormal researcher and investigator.


This event is listed at 'Beyond The Edge Radio' Facebook Events and BTE Google+ Events - Click the links and let us know you'll be there!


Join Eric Altman, Lon Strickler and Sean Forker
each Sunday at 8 PM ET as we go
Beyond the Edge!
Call toll free 1-877-677-2858 during the live broadcast

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Clenching fists 'can improve memory'

Memory can be improved simply by clenching the fists, a study suggests.

Clenching the right hand for 90 seconds helps in memory formation, while the same movement in the left improves memory recall, say US psychologists.

In an experiment, 50 adults performed better at remembering words from a long list when they carried out these movements.

The researchers think clenching a fist activates specific brain regions that are associated with memory processing.

The experiment

50 right-handed students were given a list of words to learn

They were divided into five groups

One group clenched their right fist for about 90 seconds before memorising the list and then did the same before recollecting the words
A second group carried out the same test, but with the left hand

Two other groups clenched one hand prior to learning the words (either the left or right hand) and the opposite hand prior to recollecting
A control group did not clench their fists at all

The group that clenched their right fist when memorising the list and then clenched the left when recollecting the words performed better than all the other hand clenching groups

This group also did better than the group that did not clench their fists at all, though this difference was not statistically 'significant'.

Lead scientist Ruth Propper, of Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, said the research suggests simple body movements can improve memory by temporarily changing the way the brain functions.

"Clenching your right hand immediately prior to learning information and clenching your left hand immediately before recalling it would be helpful to improve memory," Dr Propper told BBC News.

Past research has shown that right hand clenching activates the left hemisphere of the brain, while left hand clenching activates the right hemisphere.

This has been associated with emotions - for example right hand clenching with happiness or anger, and left hand clenching with sadness or anxiety.

Memory processing is thought to use both sides of the brain - the left for encoding memories and the right for retrieving them.

Future research will examine whether hand clenching can also improve other mental processes, for example verbal or spatial abilities, and memory of pictures and places, as well as words.

However, more work needs to be done in more subjects to be certain of the results.

Prof Neil Burgess, of University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, said a larger study was needed to be certain of a specific effect on memory.

This should include brain scans to look at blood flow to the left or right hemispheres of the brain.

Commenting on the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, he said: "Ideally replication would use a more powerful design (i.e. more people or a within-subjects design) and include fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging to measures brain activity) verification of the effect on blood flow." - BBC

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Human ear found in graveyard

A human ear has been found by a man walking his dog in a Buckinghamshire graveyard.

The St Mary the Virgin Church, in St Mary's Square, Aylesbury, was cordoned off after police were called on Wednesday evening.

Thames Valley Police said investigations were continuing.

A spokesman said: "Police were called at 18:37 BST by a man who was walking his dog and discovered what he believed may be a human ear."

Police have sent the ear to a Home Office pathologist to be analysed.

Results are expected next week and officers will begin an investigation if the body part is found to be "current rather than historic", the force said.

The area is being searched for any other evidence.

The church's rector, Father Shane Wood, who lives close by, said he first heard about the find when police arrived to cordon off the church and he went to make sure that any people inside were not affected.

He said he was "shocked and surprised", and his thoughts were with anybody in involved in the "tragic circumstances which may surround it".

"It's not a normal thing and it's rarely seen, if ever, in this sort of town " he said.

"You would normally associated body parts with the fictional Midsomer Murders."

He said that there had been many offers of alternative accommodation for church activities and a lunchtime concert had been diverted to Aylesbury's Methodist Church.

"The town pulls together well in emergencies," he said.

"It's a good community." - BBC