Beyond Parazine Issue 8

Thank you for reading what

is now our 8th issue.

Again we are eternally

grateful to all of our valued

contributors without who

the magazine wouldn't be

here, and of course to all

you fabulous people who

take the time to read it

every month.

As you may have gathered

its PARACON UK this

month.

There are many articles in

this issue about this amazing

event and some of the

guests who are appearing

over the two days.

Where ever you are from in

the UK this event will be

worth the travel time, lets all

get behind PARACON UK

and show our support.

This really is the one thing

this year you do not want to

miss, don’t regret not

attending when everyone is

talking about it afterwards.

As an added bonus the Past

Hauntings/Beyond Parazine

team will be there, come and

say hi and have a chat.

Hope to see you all there!!

Sean

Beyond Parazine Editor.

The UK's first annual

paranormal convention of it's

kind is finally coming to Derby

on the 22nd -23rd of

November 2014.

This long awaited event is

something the paranormal

community has been wanting

for some time and now it's

finally here!

After careful planning and

research it was obvious that no

other town in England was

more suited than Derby to

become the birth place of

PARACON UK!

Derby's incredible history as

the most haunted city in

England and it's central

location, allows everyone the

an equal opportunity to come

be apart of the largest

gathering of like minded

people in the UK.

Even the leylines that marked the

foundation to track-ways and later

became roads, all seem to lead to

Derby.

PARACON UK will harness the

magical energy from this

magnificent city and feed the

minds of all that make the

journey in search of answers to

the unknown.

The team behind this event is

“Serious Paranormal

Investigations” (S.P.I.).

They have become quickly

known for their unique style and

dedicated research in the

paranormal community.

S.P.I. has opened up new doors

to the investigation experience

and takes pride in providing

integrity in all they do.

Committed to the theme of

"Para-Unity", S.P.I. continues to

create networks on the path to

answers. The team's make-up of

US servicemen and British

researchers faces each case with

a balance of the latest technology

and spiritual interaction which

produces incredible results!

S.P.I.'s American influence has

spawned a frenzy of excitement

with providing the UK it's first

and only official PARACON of

it's own.

Set to be held on the grounds of

the historic "Derby Conference

Centre", the event will deliver

amazing entertainment, while

maintaining its integrity with

quality lectures and

demonstrations.

The Celebrity roster is next to

none, and yet is still growing

daily. Plus, the team receives

continuous support

from the paranormal

community.

The event’s Celebrity

roster continues to

grow as the members

of the team reach out

to the paranormal community

for support. The long list

includes and in no particular

order:

RICHARD FELIX,

NICK POPE,

JOHNNY ZAFFIS,

BRIAN CANO,

GARY HESELSTINE,

CHRIS DEDMAN,

AMY GOODWIN,

JOHN G. SABOL JR.

, DAVID WEATHERLEY,

DAVID PARRY,

GEORGE NEWTON

BANJO,

LAYLA RANDLE-CONDE,

CARMEN REED,

JASON LOVE,

ASHLEY KNIBB

and our special musical guest

that will perform at the VIP

Party!

There are several more

celebrities approaching the

team daily to offer their

support and donations.

The event will host a variety of

attractions that will guarantee

the enjoyment of everyone!

Dress up as your favorite

character or creature and

receive special discounts on

PARACON UK items and

services. Also there will be

a large contingent of stalls at the

event, filled with vendors, authors,

researchers, paranormal event

companies, and investigation teams

as well as general retailers and

information stands.

We want this to be a family friendly

event and we’ll be arranging

activities for the kids, alongside

quality lectures by some of the

paranormal community’s most

dedicated researchers.

Just to add to the fun, there will be

a VIP costume party, Q&A panels

with the special guests, ghost walks

on offer and demonstrations

throughout the event.

There’s sure to be something for

everyone.

There will be a room dedicated to

display several items donated from

your favorite paranormal US/UK

celebrities, movie props, signed

books, posters, apparel and

novelties.

All signed and one of a kind.

You will be able to place a sealed

bid into our silent auction for a

chance to win your one of a kind

item.

Also throughout both days there

will be door prizes and raffles to

win some incredible prizes, to

include tickets to investigations

throughout the UK’s most

haunted locations.

The night of the 22nd, there will

be a panel put together of the

paranormal elite from all

spectrums of the paranormal field.

They will be moderated and asked

to answer questions from not just

their field of study, but of those

sitting to their left and right.

This will provide a unique look at

the ideas that each will have in

respect to their fellow panel

members’ expertise.

The collective knowledge alone

on one stage will be mind

blowing!

Following the event, there will be

a VIP Costume Party for 100

VIP PASS holders, vendors and

our Celebrity guest. This party

will include a special

performance from a secret artist

that will make you dance the

night away!

For those not attending the VIP

Party there will be area

investigations and ghost walks

available.

More information will be posted

to the website as it’s available.

Day two will be another fun

packed adventure with more

lectures and demonstrations.

There will be an open mic

session for investigation teams to

sign up and share their best

evidence with the community.

We are promoting the idea of

unity within the overall

community. This way every team

has a chance to be seen and

heard.

Following the day’s events there

will be a charity dinner with our

honoured guest.

Those attending will be able to

enjoy an evening of good food

and friends as we auction our

remaining items donated for to

the charities.

Then to conclude this amazing

event there will be a presentation

of the donations to the respected

representatives of each charity.

This is just the beginning to an

annual event that will foster the

true meaning of uniting for a

cause within the community.

The event staffs are working

non-stop to continue to grow the

various activities and list of

celebrity guest.

You do not want to miss this event

if you are a true paranormal fan

and researcher.

Follow the PARACON UK’s

announcements on facebook.

Stalls and sponsorships are

available now by contacting the

staff on facebook.

For more information on special

guests, tickets, venue details and

more, please keep an eye on our

website or contact us at

[email protected]

Jason Jason Jason lovelovelove

Scotland's only actively

practicing Demonologist and

expert on Violent house

hauntings.

Born and raised in South Africa,

my family background was

working for the South African

Police. Brought up during

Apartheid and violent times, as

a child, I was subjected to seeing

brutality and death on a regular

basis.

Many places were I lived were

'Haunted' and that's when I

began my life long interest in the

afterlife and violent hauntings.

I began investigating the

paranormal at the age of 11,

experiencing apparitions and

ghostly events.

My mother and grandmother

are practicing mediums.

I trained under an old school

Gypsy clairvoyant, to enhance

my sensations and utilize my

third eye to work with the spirit

world, especially when dealing

with darker forces during

investigations.

I'm not a professional medium, I

only use my senses for particular

work ( Clairsensitive )

Studied Biblical and Modern

Demonology, in France, Italy

and US. I collaborate cases with

fellow Demonologists such as

Chris Dedman and John Zaffis

( Haunted Collector )

I travel globally, doing talks and

lectures on Modern

Demonology and cases I have in-

vestigated.

Currently, I hold 47 'Haunted'

objects at my home in Glasgow.

Jason with haunted doll ‘Sophia’

Some of these I shall be

exhibiting at Paracon UK.

You can meet me in person at

Paracon UK, as I am one of the

main stage special guest

speakers.

I will also be auctioning some of

my haunted objects in which the

money raised will go towards

TroopAID and Wounded

Warrior Project.

Jason generously agreed to do an

interview for this issue of Beyond

Parazine, enjoy.

How do you see Demonology

progressing in the paranormal

field?

Demonology remains a subject

of both keen interest and a

subject of serious

scrutiny.

Those who claim they know

Demonology and try to 'flog' it

through investigations, usually

fall foul to inexperience, lack of

knowledge and fierce

attacks by the paranormal

community.

Only those people who have

been trained in the topic of

demonology, and have had

practical experience dealing with

'darker' forces, should put

themselves forward as being

experts.

I personally believe that

demonology is gradually

becoming a more accepted role

in the paranormal

world.

It is not for amateurs to play

around with.

What are your thoughts on the

sudden explosion of interest in

Demonology and the

paranormal in general?

Demonology was barely known

only a few years ago.

Academics, theologists and

seminarians were about the only

people who had knowledge on

the subject.

With the 'explosion' in

paranormal programmes such as

Ghost Adventures, Ghost

Hunters, Haunted Collector,

Paranormal State and so on, the

show's have began bringing in so

called 'Demonologists' to tackle

their more malevolent

cases.

Just as the television programmes

began to dominate our TV's,

movies have been targeting

stories relating to the darker,

sinister side of paranormal,

hence, the subject of demons

and demonic possession have

become much more popular for

the larger audiences.

What would you say the differ-

ence is, if there is one, between

dark spirits and demons?

Dark Spirits and Demons? For

me, it is fairly straight

forward.

Demons have never been human

( inhuman ) and are devised of

pure negative energy, which feed

off our fear, thoughts and evil

intentions. Demons come from a

realm somewhere between Hell

and our earthly plain. They wait

anxiously at the thin doorway

between their realm and ours.

When we try to summon them

through spirit contact ( Ouija's,

Séances, etc ) we open that

doorway just enough to let them

through.

Dark spirits, generally, were

human in their previous

existence. They may be spirits of

those passed on whom have not

come to terms with their

death. They are normally

confused, scared, and anxious.

As time does not pass in their

realm, they become more

determined and aggravated,

hence, their 'earthly'

characteristics diminish and they

start to become more malevolent

and angry.

That's a general way of

explaining the differences

between the two.

What is the most frightening

experience you have had?

I have been investigating

paranormal cases for many

years, starting my first case at the

age of 11.

Over the past 15 years, my case

investigations have been focused

mainly on violent house

hauntings, malevolent

poltergeists and early stages of

demonic oppression.

I investigated a case just recently,

of a house haunting in Scotland,

where a normal, everyday family

of five resided in a council

house.

Paranormal activity was triggered

by the eldest child, whom had

played with a Ouija board with

her friends. They had 'spoken'

with a spirit whom they believed

was another teenager.

Through innocence and no idea

what they were doing, they invited

their new 'friend' to stay at the

house.

On investigation, I recorded

footage of objects moving

unexplained, loud knocking, cold

spots throughout the home, and

disturbing disembodied voices

caught on digital recorder.

It was only after spending 4 nights

in the house, with just myself and

the trigger object ( daughter ) that

the demonic signs began to

uncover. Foul smells, heavy

oppressing atmosphere and

eventually we were both being

physically attacked.

A series of 'cleansing' prayers, my

own ritual I use for expelling

demonic forces, and a blessing by

clergy, seemed to dispel the home

for now.....

Do you think that films such as

'The Conjuring' and 'Annabelle'

have got more people interested

in the haunted items approach to

investigating?

The movie world has such a

powerful effect on

advertising.

Back in 2000, when films like

Armageddon and Deep Impact

came out, people genuinely

believe the world was coming to

an end via some global

catastrophe!

The same applies to the

paranormal world. You make

and screen movies like the

Conjuring, Annabelle and

Insidious, you are controlling the

minds, thoughts and interests of

your viewers.

I certainly believe these movies

as well as the numerous

paranormal programmes, have

had a serious effect on the 'real'

paranormal community.

There have been a massive

influx of interest globally, and

although a good sign, it has in

someway, gone slightly out of

hand.

Too many people are now

thinking they are experts in

different fields, because they

watch certain TV shows or

movies.

Huge thanks to Jason Love for

answering our questions, if you

have any questions you would like

to put to him then get yourself to

Paracon UK in Derby on the

22nd & 23rd November were Ja-

son is appearing as a main stage

special guest speaker, he will also

be donating some of his collec-

tion of haunted items for auction.

The paranormal

&

Natural energy

What are the conditions

required for paranormal

activity?

This is a question that has long

troubled anyone doing serious

research into the paranormal.

It is not unreasonable to

theorise that the environment

could be a factor in when and

where activity takes place, and

also influence the type of

activity itself.

If every single action that takes

place is a result of chemical and

physical reactions, from the

movement of Earth and its

moon around the Sun giving us

seasons and tides, changes in

atmospheric pressure, volcano

eruptions, seismic shifts… then

the Earth itself is one big ball of

kinetic, magnetic, biological,

and electrical energy.

Why shouldn’t all this energy

play a part in the world of the

paranormal?

Scientists and meteorologists

will tell you that all things have

“structure”.

From the smallest atoms that

make up the backbone of DNA

to the largest tropical storms,

there is a “blueprint” of

common attributes that must be

present for them to form and

exist. If this blueprint was to

change, then the result would

be that the structure would have

serious flaws, which would later

lead to its destruction or failure,

or fail completely.

So what is the structure of the

Earth?

Its core is in two layers. The

inner core is primarily made of

iron and some nickel. In the

early stages of Earth’s

formation, melting caused

denser substances to sink

towards the centre in a process

called planetary differentiation,

while less-dense materials

would have migrated to the

crust. Other heavy elements,

such as lead and uranium, are

too rare to make up any

significant weight, and tend to

bind to lighter materials and

thus remain in the crust.

The outer core is made up of

iron mixed with nickel, and

traces of lighter elements.

Due to the sinking of heavier

elements, this outer core is

more like a liquid floating on

top of the core.

We get our magnetic field

from the outer core, thanks to

convection, combined with the

Coriolis Effect.

The average magnetic field strength

of the outer core is estimated to be

25 Gauss - Fifty times stronger than

the magnetic field at the surface.

On top of the liquid outer core sits

the cooler elements, which form

the various layers of rock and

material that make up the thick

mantle layer and thinner crust, on

which we live.

The magnetic field serves to

deflect the solar wind, whose

charged particles would

otherwise strip away the ozone

layer that protects the Earth

from harmful ultraviolet

radiation.

Humans have used it for

direction-finding and navigation

since the 12th century.

Other organisms, ranging from

soil bacteria to pigeons, are also

able to detect the field and use

it for navigation. Variations in

the magnetic field strength have

been correlated to rainfall

variation within the tropics.

Due to the Earth’s tilt on its

axis, the magnetic pole shifts

slightly over time, and can,

given long enough periods of

time, completely reverse itself.

This last occurred 780,000

years ago.

Earth’s magnetic field can be

recorded within igneous rock,

such as granite, obsidian,

pumice, and quartz diorite.

These materials may provide a

natural source of energy for

paranormal activity due to this

special property.

The human eye contains proteins

called cryptochromes, which may

have the ability to detect the

magnetic field in the same way

that birds can. Electrons in

cryptochromes come in tangled

pairs, which magnetic fields like

the one surrounding the Earth

could cause to wobble.

Perhaps this is one way in which

apparitions sometimes appear,

where they are somehow

recorded into the magnetic field

contained within the rock, and

when a susceptible person

comes along and “taps” into

this natural energy source, they

“see” this energy being

replayed. Iron, limestone and

chalk are also able to store

magnetic fields.

British archaeologist-turned-

parapsychologist Thomas

Charles Lethbridge first

proposed this idea as “Stone

Tape Theory” in 1961.

Many precious stones are also

thought to have different

properties connected with

spiritual energy, used for a

range of different activities,

from cleansing and protection

to healing.

These stones are often used in

dowsing crystals due to their

ability to pick up on natural

vibrations and frequencies.

Other natural materials such

as wood, in particular hazel,

peach, and willow have also

been shown to have some

sensitivity to electromagnetic

fields. Copper is also often used

for dowsing, due to its high

conductivity.

Water makes up roughly 71% of

Earth’s surface, and anywhere

between 50-75% of the human

body. At any moment, the

atmosphere contains 37.5 million

billion gallons of water, as vapour

– enough to cover the entire

surface of the planet, ocean and

land, with one inch of rain. Water

is essential to life. Without it, not

much would happen. It has always

been considered as a precious, life

-giving resource across all cultures

throughout history.

Not only is it at the heart of all life

on the planet, but it also provides

energy in many forms, and is

continually shaping the

environment around us.

So it is not surprising that water is

considered as a source for

supernatural energies. Ancient

people attributed gods to water,

while others thought it to be the

home of water sprites and other

mystical creatures and beings.

Flowing water in particular is

held as a powerful source of

energy. The impurities and

minerals contained in natural

water range from iron,

aluminium, barium, cobalt,

fluorine, selenium, even trace

amounts of arsenic and

uranium. Many of these

minerals are magnetic, and

conduct electricity. With this in

mind, flowing water, in the right

conditions, can generate electro-

magnetic fields, and can often

serve to amplify paranormal ac-

tivity. As with birds in the air,

various types of fish and other

creatures are able to detect the

presence of electromagnetic

fields. The presence of water, to-

gether with suitable rock materi-

al, could again amplify paranor-

mal phenomena. Water has

many other uses within the para-

normal world – it can be used

for scrying due to its reflecting

properties, which ties in with the

old concept of mirrors as being

portals.

There is the concept that water is

purifying and cleansing, and that

spirits cannot cross flowing water.

This has echoes with the river

Styx of Greek mythology, where

the river marked the boundary

between Earth and the

Underworld, and spirits were

ferried across to the other side to

Hades. The hero Achilles was

dipped in its water by his heel,

granting him immortality.

The heel that he was held by was

the only spot where he could be

wounded, hence the phrase

“Achilles Heel”, referring to a

person’s weak spot.

The legend of King Arthur tells us

that a body of water near the Isle

of Avalon was the home of the

Lady of the Lake. When he was

mortally wounded, he was laid in

a boat and transported to the

mystical isle of Avalon.

Arthur’s great sword, Excalibur,

was cast into the lake, where a

hand rose out of the water and

caught the sword by the hilt,

brandished it three times, then

These are not the only materials

known to have links to

paranormal and spiritual energy.

Vinegar is used in some cultures

to ward off negative entities, due

to its acidic nature. In addition,

it is noted for its cleansing ability

as a liquid. Dried sage and other

herbs have been used in magical

and shamanic practice, as well as

cooking, for a very long time.

When burnt, it releases smoke

into the air which is thought to

clear negative vibrations.

Garlic has the same effect, and

has often been used at entrance

points such as doorways and

windows to protect against nega-

tive energies and spirits. Onions

can also be used in a similar

manner. It is believed that the

more negative energy an onion

absorbs, the quicker it turns

rotten. Salt is a preservative, as is

thought to have various crystal-like

properties. Salt is associated with

healing and protection, and salt

water is also a cleansing liquid.

Incense, in particular

frankincense, is often used to

cleanse the air in a location.

Incense is also thought to be able

to summon certain spirits.

Chanting is, in some cultures, an

established method of

communicating with spirits.

Some chants are dedicated to

spirits in the hope that they can be

summoned for communication,

while others are for protection

against negative spirits. Chanting

for meditation is also common..

In all cases, it is believed that

the chant allows the person to

align themselves with the energy

vibrations of the spirit realm.

Expanding on the theme of

vibrations, let’s take a look at

other sources of natural energy

that can be heard and felt.

White noise is a common

theme in the paranormal, with

attempts to receive images and

voices through empty static

produced by radio frequencies.

But different types of noise can

have various effects on the

human brain. White noise in

particular has been used to help

people with sleep disorders, and

has also been used to help

reduce headaches, and alleviate

the pain experienced by tinnitus

sufferers. It has a flat frequency

spectrum when it is plotted as a

linear function of frequency.

In other words, the signal has

equal power in any band of a

given bandwidth. For example,

the range of frequencies be-

tween 40Hz and 60Hz contains

the same amount of power as the

range between 400Hz and

420Hz, since both intervals are

20Hz wide.

However, prolonged exposure to

white noise can cause damage to

the part of the brain responsible

for hearing and acquisition in

children. It is called white noise

due to the fact that it is analogous

to “white light”, where all areas

have the same brightness.

Pink noise has a linear frequency

spectrum, it has equal power in

bands that are proportionally

wide. For example, it would have

equal power between 40 – 60Hz

as in the band from 4000 –

6000Hz. Since humans hear in

such a proportional space, where

a doubling of frequency (an

octave) is perceived as the same,

regardless of actual frequency

(40 – 60Hz sounds the same

as 4000 – 6000Hz), every

octave contains the same

amount of energy, and thus,

pink noise is often used as a

reference signal in audio

engineering. This has a similar

effect to white noise on the

human brain, and is

particularly good at helping

people sleep. It is called pink

noise because it sits between

white and red (or Brownian)

on the audio spectrum.

Red noise, or Brownian noise,

has a power density which

decreases 6dB per octave with

increasing frequency.

The resulting sound is the

same as white noise, but with a

“muffled” effect that sounds

like constant heavy rain whilst

stood in a large building with a

tall ceiling. Red noise has a

calming effect on the human

brain, and has been shown to

help with focus.

Blue noise, or azure noise, has a

power density increase of 3dB

per octave with increasing fre-

quency. It is called blue noise as

it is analogous to blue noise in

visual terms, where it is used to

describe any noise with minimal

low frequency components and

no concentrated spikes in energy.

Retinal cells are arranged in a

blue noise-like pattern, which

yields good visual resolution. The

resulting sound is like white noise

but much higher-pitched and

focused.

Violet noise, or purple noise, has

a power density increase of 6dB

per octave with increasing

frequency. Acoustic thermal

noise of water has a violet

spectrum, and tends to dominate

hydrophone measurements at

high frequencies.

The resulting sound is like white

noise but at a higher pitch, and

gives the impression of distance,

like a poor quality radio signal.

The human brain finds this type

of signal hard to process, and can

Of course, the main source of

natural energy for the Earth is

the sun.

Solar activity can play a part in

paranormal activity.

Solar flares throw large amounts

of charged radioactive particles

at the planet, which can affect

disrupt electromagnetic fields

and cause problems with

electrical equipment.

This can act as a catalyst, where

all the extra energy coming into

the atmosphere often coincides

with increases in activity.

They can cause geomagnetic

storms.

The sun and moon together

have the most influence over us.

People have always associated a

full moon with paranormal

activity, but a new moon is also a

good time to investigate, as it is

the start of a new cycle.

We act out our lives on a daily

basis, constantly surrounded by

massive amounts of natural

energy.

This energy takes many forms,

and isn’t always detectable by us,

but it may be the key to what hap-

pens when our time comes.

Jonathan Thorpe

Twilight Paranormal

www.twilightparanormal.co.uk

Visit Twilight Paranormals

website on the link above and

check out there great priced

events, also worth taking a look at

is their massive online library.

The library features 100’s of

book on every subject within the

paranormal world and beyond.

They are a great friendly team of

commited and thorough

experienced investigators.

As well as events at various

locations Twilight are also

available for private investigations,

see their website for more details.

What Is Dowsing? Dowsing is the art of finding hidden things.

This is accomplished with the aid of a dowsing

stick, rods or a pendulum. Water witching and doodle

bugging are other names for

dowsing.

Dowsing is scientifically known

as radioesthesia. It is the

interaction of the mind of the

dowser and the energy of the

object of interest. Most dowsing

is used to find water and

minerals. It has been used to

find lost objects and even

people. It can be used to dowse

the subtle energy field

surrounding objects, plants,

animals and people.

Dowsing is an ancient practice

whose origins are lost in

forgotten history.

It is thought to date back at least

8,000 years. Wall murals,

estimated to be about 8,000

years old, discovered in the

Tassili Caves of North Africa

show tribesmen surrounding a

man with a forked stick who is

possibly dowsing for water.

Artwork from ancient China and

Egypt seem to show people using

forked tools in what might have

been dowsing activities.

Dowsing may have been

mentioned in the Bible although

not by name when Moses and

Aaron used a "rod" to locate

water. The first unambiguous

written accounts of dowsing came

from the Middle Ages when

dowsers in Europe used it to find

coal deposits. During the 15th

and 16th centuries, dowsers were

often denounced as practitioners

of evil.

As it was deemed the devils

work, this is where the term

water witching comes from.

In more modern times, dowsing

has been used to find water for

wells, mineral deposits, oil,

buried treasure, archaeological

artefacts and even missing

people. How the dowsing

technique was first discovered is

unknown. Those who practice it

are unwavering in their

affirmations that it works.

How Does Dowsing Work?

The quick answer is that no one

really knows how Dowsing

Works. Not even experienced

dowsers. Some believe there is a

psychic connection established

between the dowser and the

sought object. All things, living

and inanimate, the theory

possess an energy force.

By concentrating on the hidden

object the dowser is able to tune

in to the energy force or

vibration of the object which.

It can be used to dowse the

subtle energy field surrounding

objects, plants, animals, and

people. This forces the dowsing

rod or stick to move.

If we are doing energy healing,

one can dowse the body of a

patient before and after treatment

and observe any energy changes.

If the results are quantified we can

reach conclusions about the

efficiency of techniques. Sceptics

claim that dowsing doesn't work at

all. Dowsers who seem to have a

track record for success are either

lucky, have good instincts or

trained knowledge for where

water, minerals etc can be found.

For believer or sceptic, there's no

definitive proof either way.

Albert Einstein was convinced of

the authenticity of dowsing.

He said, "I know very well that

many scientists consider dowsing

as they do astrology, as a type of

ancient superstition. According

to my conviction this is, however,

unjustified. The dowsing rod is a

simple instrument which shows

the reaction of the human

nervous system to certain factors

which are unknown to us at this

time."

The ability to find people,

artefacts or substances by use of

maps, pictures or physically

being in a place are currently the

most popular applications of

Dowsing. Most dowsers use two

dowsing rods and/or a

pendulum. The rods are com-

monly known as 'Wishing Rods'.

They are formed into an L shape

and are usually made of copper

although the oldest known

material was wood and usually

forked Hazel branches along

with Apple, Beech and Alder.

It is also said that metal coat

hangers work well too. One rod

is held in each hand and when

you have located what it is you

are looking for the rods will

cross. When using a pendulum

most people weight the line with

a crystal or heavy weight. The

important thing seems to be the

length of the line which the

pendulum swings on.

One thing that does seem a

mystery is how diviners can

dowse over a map to find people

or substances when the focus of

the search can be many

kilometres away.

This does imply some form of

psychic activity.

Dowsing is reported to date back

around 8000 years but origins

are still unknown. It is accepted

that the Egyptians used images of

forked rods in some of their

artwork as did the Ancient

Chinese kings.

In Europe dowsing was used in

the Middle Ages to find coal

deposits. Since this time people

have dowsed for many things

from lost objects to missing

people. Some of them are

reported to be very accurate

although the scientific commu-

nity have yet to decide if they

support this ability or not.

Some people earn money by

advising mining companies

before they carry out test

drilling. In 1930's there was a lot

of activity in Europe with the

formation of 'The British

Society of Dowsers'. The term

Rasiesthesia was coined by

French priest Abbé Mermet

based on the Latin words for

'radiation' and 'perception',

although the term dowsing has

stood the test of time.

In 1986 American dowsers

argued that there was a

connection between dowsing

and astrological links with the

element Fire.

Dowsing Methods.

There are hundreds of ways to

dowse. The most popular way is

using L-rods. These are bent wires

which can be pointed in the

direction of the area of interest.

You can make a simple set of

L-rods by getting two metal coat

hangers and cutting off the long

wires at the bottoms. Bend one

end of each at about four inches

into a 90 degree L shape.

The small end is the handle and

the long end is the pointer. Take a

plastic straw and cut it in half. Place

one piece over the smaller end of

each L-rod.

This will be the sleeve of the

handle which will enable the

L-rod to swivel freely without

being affected by the muscles of

the hand.

Hold one L-rod in each hand

pointing towards the object to be

measured. Make sure the L-rod

is horizontal to the ground.

If you want to measure the

energy field of a person make

sure they are not holding or

wearing any crystals or jewellery.

Step back about three paces and

then turn and face them. Hold

the L-rods parallel to the ground

pointing towards your subject. In

your mind, or out loud tell

yourself what the L-rods are

measuring.

This is very important. Your mind

is very precise. It will measure

exactly what you tell it to.

Say or think that you are

measuring the reserve bio energy

field of this body. Focus your

attention only on this person.

Do not let your mind wander and

think of anyone or anything else as

this will affect the results.

Walk towards the person, slowly,

keeping the L-rods straight and

level. When you enter the energy

field the wires will open wide the

left wire will swing to the left and

the right hand wire will swing to

the right. Measure the distance

between the wires and the body.

To create the healing change,

dowse the body. Step back eight

paces, turn and walk toward the

body, L-rods parallel and pointing

towards the subject. When you

reach the energy field of the body

the wires will swing open. Measure

the distance and compare between

this effort and the first effort. The

difference is the change you made

by the healing. You can use this

method to see if your crystals or

jewellery have any effect on an

energy field. Measure the subject

wearing no jewellery and then

add your object and measure

again.

The History of Dowsing.

It is claimed that the act of

dowsing is an instinct within all

humans and that we have

forgotten in the main how to use.

The ancient art of

Rhabdomancy, as dowsing was

originally known, has been

practised since time

immemorial. At one time,

people used intuition to

determine where objects

and influences were coming from.

It appears that as mankind

evolved this inner sense has

diminished. While the inner

knowledge or skill may have

diminished, the art of dowsing

using implements such as

pendulums and rods has evolved

from this time.

Ever since written records have

been kept the art of dowsing has

been recorded. Ancient Egyptians

and Babylonians dowsed using

split reeds. The early Chinese

Emperor Kwang Sung (circa 2200

BC) was known to have dowsed.

The Chinese art of feng shui,

sacred geomancy or building,

evolved from a theory linking

geomancy with rhabdomancy.

The Romans and Greeks dowsed

using many forms of oracles.

The early Jews used dowsing for

their own benefits and recorded

the act in the Old Testament.

A number of scholars made

themselves seem foolish by

attributing unnecessary

complications to the skill of

dowsing.

Precise descriptions of how to

look for gold and other precious

metals were developed,

demanding elaborate and

ritualistic preparations including

the acquisition of expensive gold

and silver divining rods to ensure

success. The fact that village

dowsers achieved the same

results with a bit of twig showed

the worthlessness of the scholars'

detailed methods.

During the Middle Ages and

beyond, dowsing was very much

kept quiet as it was associated

with the mystical unknown and

the occult. Talk of witchcraft and

the Spanish Inquisition on the

European continent meant that

keeping dowsing and any other

form of divination low key

seemed to be the best policy.

In the 15th Century the British

Isles were famed throughout the

known world as a centre of

excellence for magical and

esoteric arts. German dowsers

came to the West Country,

bringing their tin divining skills

to England. The Germans then

travelled down to Cornwall

where they located veins of tin

which allowed new tin mines to

be established for the Cornish

landowners.

In France, dowsing was very

much in vogue in the 17th

Century. This was largely due to

the mineralogists Baron and

Baroness De Beausoleil who

together established a mineral

company through their

successful use of dowsing.

Sadly, the two lost all their

money locating mines and died

in the Bastille after being

accused of witchcraft.

Science speaks.

Later theories on dowsing

emerged and the scientists often

came to the conclusion that

dowsing and electricity were

linked, perhaps with a bit of

mesmerism added for good

measure. A massive treatise into

dowsing, La Physique Occulte

ou Traite de la Baguette

Divinitoire, was written and

published by the Abbé De

Vallemont.

Though it was given backing by

the Catholic Church, the Church

decided to backtrack after the

treatise's publication.

After conducting a deep and

meaningful investigation into the

phenomenon in 1853, the

Church declared that dowsing

worked because it was the devil his

very self that pulled and twisted

the dowsing rod to give the

accurate results

This was immediately challenged

in Catholic France by Michel

Eugène Chevreul in his book, De

La Baguette Divinatoire,

published in 1854 and this paved

the way for more studies to be

conducted.

In England dowsing was part of

folk culture like many other

activities such as spell-casting and

divination by stones and it was

claimed to work. There was every

need to continue its use and not

dismiss it as a work of the devil.

Dowsing attracted many characters

to it, including WS Lawrence

from Bristol, who was born in

1810 and for 70 years of his life

dowsed in a semi-professional

capacity.

Lawrence was a stonemason. For

dowsing, Lawrence used a steel

wire bent like a horseshoe for

finding minerals and a large

forked hazel twig for water.

Upon finding what it was he

dowsed for Lawrence would

suffer muscular spasms that were

debilitating and energy sapping.

This reinforced the mystery

about his work to onlookers

which re-emphasised the magical

aspect of dowsing.

Mr Child of Somerset wrote one

of the first popular books on

dowsing, Water Finding,

published by the East Anglia

Daily Times in 1902.

Mr Child and his family were

amazed to discover that he had

the ability to dowse after he

imitated another dowser at work.

With the use of something as

simple as a watch-spring he

realised that he could find water.

Another English mason who

became a fulltime dowser was

John Mullins.

Mullins picked up the art from

another dowser who visited the

Wiltshire estate on which

Mullins worked in 1859.

Twenty three years later, John

Mullins established himself

as a fulltime dowser. He would

only charge his fee if he was

successful in his findings and he

frequently was. As the business

grew it was taken over by his two

sons. John Mullins was another

advocate of the forked hazel twig

and he insisted on a new stick

being used for each job being

undertaken. The stick also had to

be taken from the locality of the

work to be commenced.

Modern Dowsing.

In 1959, Verne Cameron, a

professional Californian dowser,

contacted the United States Navy

and told them he would locate

the entire submarine fleet using

only a map and a pendulum.

The Navy accepted the challenge

and Cameron located the US

submarines as well as the

position of Russian submarines

around the world.

In the early 20th Century, a

French priest, Abbé Mermet,

proved his belief that if it was

possible to divine the location

and state of an underground

stream, it should be equally

possible to use dowsing to find

out about the human

bloodstream. The Abbé used a

pendulum for his dowsing and

he coined the word radiesthesia

to refer to the use of dowsing in

medicine. A field of practice

called radionics was also

developed during the early 20th

Century. This is where

practitioners aim to tune into the

energy wavelengths of individuals.

As well as the dowsing technique,

radionics also frequently uses a

special dialled instrument for

detailed diagnosis and treatment.

The Christian Church at one time

generated a lot of superstitious

nonsense with their witching laws

because religious leaders believed

that dowsing was a form of

witchcraft. Even the British Army's

Royal Electrician and Mechanical

Engineer regiment (or sappers)

used to train their regiment on how

to dowse for water. The US Army

went further than and trained

soldiers in Vietnam to dowse for

unexploded bombs and

landmines. It is not known how

many lives, both military and

civilian, that this technique has

saved in its use in clearing

minefields.

Whether a scientific or a psychic

phenomenon, started by miners

looking for metals, developed by

civil engineers looking for water

sources, condemned by the

Church as evil, used by armies and

medicinal personnel worldwide

to save lives, dowsing is a

phenomenon that has many

applications far and above those

which it first started to cater for.

Can anyone dowse?

It is reported that 80% of

people have the ability to sense

things not perceptible to others.

Some of these people do not

need any extra tools to do that

as they just know where the best

place to dig a well is or where

something is hidden. Some

people require a prosthesis that

will help them to focus and read

their body signals better. This is

what dowsing rods are for.

There are many different types

of dowsing rods. There are

classical, Y-shaped, Swiss rods

and L shaped rods. Every

dowser has his/her preference

when it comes to this tool and

the majority of them make their

own unique rods that they

believe will work better than any

other.

Why would anyone bother to

dowse?

People believe that dowsing can

be used for underground streams

and rivers (groundwater) are

thought to produce a type of

unhealthy radiation that can

cause cancer and other illnesses.

People would be better off

building a house in a place

devoid of these underground

streams.

Most of the castles, palaces,

churches, hospitals and homes in

the past were built after a dowser

was consulted. The place to

build a house was chosen

carefully. If it was impossible to

avoid building over underground

sources of radiation different

methods were used to neutralize

it. A common practice was to

add some organic material such

as blood or eggs to the cement

used for the construction.

How can you tell if you are

sleeping or working in an

unhealthy spot?

Some people just don't sleep

very well in places like that or

they may wake up tired with a

headache. Others need help

from a dowser. If there are no

dowsers available, your pets can

help you. Their instincts are not

numbed by civilization like ours

so they can use them to pick safe

places to rest. Dogs tend to

choose healthy places to sleep

while cats like to sleep in places

unhealthy for people.

Other animals and plants can be

also used as guidance.

For example ants like to build

their hills over spots with high

radiation levels and mistletoe

grows exclusively over areas such

as this.

You can also try to become a

dowser yourself. Remember that

80% of us can do it.

Try dowsing.

STEP 1: Making your own

dowsing rods. You will need two

metal rods that are each about 50

cm (20 inches) in length. You

can use an old clothes hanger as

a source of wire.

You need to bend the wire to

obtain two identical rods with

handles so that there is a straight

angle (90 degrees) between the

handle and the main part of the

rod. The handles should be

approx. 10 cm (4 in) long. The

rods should look like ‘L’ shapes.

STEP 2: Holding your dowsing

rods.

It is crucial to hold the dowsing

rods properly. You should place

the handle of the dowsing rod in

the middle of your palm and then

close your hand. Do not squeeze

the rods too tight or they will not

move. Some people put some

plastic straw over the handle so that

the hand grip cannot affect how the

rods move.

Hold them in such a way that the

main part of the rod is parallel to

the ground and attempt to keep

them in that position at all times.

STEP 3: Using your dowsing

rods.

Start walking slowly along a

straight line holding the rods as

described above.

You may notice that your rods

move by themselves and cross

over certain points. Remember

the location of these points and

walk over them again. If you get

same results repeatedly you

probably have talent for dowsing.

Blessings,

Kevin Cohen Spiritualist Medium

Paranormal pages

www.rapsuk.com

After showing increasing

interest into the paranormal

world, my seven year old

daughter has begun asking me

questions on issues which have

never really crossed my mind

until recently.

She will regularly ask me at

what age can she join me on an

investigation; but I am yet to

come across children joining

paranormal events.

The topic seems to draw a

mixed bag of responses from

groups and investigators up and

down the country.

I am well aware that there will

always be people strictly against

the idea of children attending

events or investigations, but I

do believe if it’s carried out in

the correct manner, that it could

well be a it could be a good thing

to begin educating a new

generation of investigators.

Many groups operate a strict over

18’s policy for attending events

which can be sensible, due to

some venues being hazardous

and what most may view as a

recipe for disaster- children

tagging along and discovering all

corners of those dark abandoned

buildings.

Maybe this stance on attendance

for children taking an interest in

the paranormal, is a bonus-

maybe they won’t get wrapped

up in the “The Most Haunted”

run public events that have

flooded the country, which in

theory may only lead them to

believe that this is how any

investigations are really carried

out.

So what if it was a controlled

investigation with a select few

for a short period of time?

What about during daylight

(as let’s face it we all know it

doesn’t have to be the typical

dark haunted graveyard!)

What if it was an event without

public attendance, and a

controlled environment where

you could create a safe haven,

a building block for them to

lay down to further their

knowledge which will allow

their own ideas to flourish?

For them to carry out their own

investigations in the future?

Maybe creating tailor suited

investigations to teach them the

basics, or even without the use of

equipment to begin with, just to let

them to get used to the

environment around them- letting

them describe to us what they feel

in a location, what they sense

(if anything) what they smell, and

see.

The snippets of information I have

given my children have spawned

their forever growing interest. My

daughter is desperate to join me on

an investigation and I don’t think it

will be too long until she does.

Her knowledge is expanding on

various aspects, and she has now

started to ask questions about

certain types of equipment and

what we use it for.

So how old do you think children

should be before they attend an

investigation?

My own personal views, were until

recently, extremely negative in re-

sponse to children attending such

events, but now I am swaying

towards the idea. I would like to

begin educating children who

show an interest into the

paranormal and to nurture them

into investigators of the future.

If we look back through the

century’s children have

supposedly witnessed many

ghostly sightings and to me,

seem to have an enhanced sense

in regards to the environment

around them, more so than

some adults.

One topic that has particularly

interested me in relation to

involving children within the

paranormal, is linked with

children’s so called “imaginary

friends”.

This supposed phenomena is

called Quasi-Corporal

Companions or (QCC).

Now this phenomena boldly

claims that these ‘imaginary

friends’ are not imaginary at all

but are of an intelligent energy

that can show themselves in

many forms and also in some

studies, these entities seem

to have lives of their own that

interact with a number of children.

The general consensus seems to be

that children are more in tune with

witnessing paranormal phenomena

than adults, but we need to take

into consideration the negative

points of involving children into the

unknown.

Children don’t have the same

maturity and thought process as

adults which could have a massive

effect on their thinking as their

brain is still developing.

Not to mention the fact it could

affect their social aspects with

friends and school life.

I have had many conversations with

my daughter regarding not

influencing or describing things she

may have heard about ghosts and

poltergeists, to other as I can

imagine other children being

scarred for life if they hear about

things that go bump in the night.

So I think it all boils down to the

child as an individual and how

the parent/guardian wants to let

them experience investigations.

Every child is different in many

ways, they all think differently

and the thought process of each

of them should be a massive

factor when considering the

involvement of children.

I have had various discussions

with other people on this subject

and I do get frowned upon

sometimes when I mention my

two children and their keen

interest in the matter.

I do not see any sort of problem

with them attending

investigations; the parents/

guardians know them better than

anyone else and should make

sensible actions when including

them into this strange world of

the paranormal.

As I said before if controlled, I

and I can only see it benefiting

them in the long run with regards

to investigative knowledge that

would put them on the right path

to becoming sensible investigators.

Who knows they could make the

breakthrough capture of ground-

breaking evidence and push

psychical research into the next

chapter that we all desire.

Maybe we are all guilty of child’s

play regarding investigations, with

the involvement of playing with

equipment and having

mediumistic led investigations.

This new generation of

investigators can’t come soon

enough for me, and I think that

the involvement of children could

lead to great things.

I am not saying that we should

gear up the kids and send them

out into the field, but I think

times are changing and kids are

just not kids anymore, the

exposure they get to what the

world is, is forever increasing, and

a lot of them do seem to be very

mature for their age.

So maybe, just maybe, we should

start to look at the involvement of

children/teenagers in what we

regard as investigating, and who

knows what it could lead to?

Maybe they will start to teach us a

thing or two, and we may realise

that we were the ones playing

Investigating The

Four Crosses Inn –

Cannock

Phenomenal.

The perfect word to describe

The Four Crosses Inn.

Built in 1636 from salvaged

ship beams; and then

expanded upon throughout

history, is it little wonder that

there is a catalogue of alleged

paranormal activity recorded?

Being a stop-gap for weary

travellers, The Four Crosses

has enticed many through its

doors for food and lodgings.

As guests of Ghost Hunt Live,

the Stoke Haunted Team

worked independently whilst

Ghost Hunt Live provided a

paranormal experience for

their paying public.

With heady humidity, lofty

temperatures and a small window

of time to work with, those what

were able to attend knew that they

would need to be on form.

Over the years; as the pictures

suggest, there have been many

additions and alterations to the

interior and exterior. Each stage in

history perfectly portrayed through

the elaborate masonry.

With extraordinary findings

logged and secret walls found, it

little wonder that passing trade

leaves with more questions than

they arrived with?

It also begs the question, is there

any other areas that remain

hidden?

Initially, the Stoke Haunted

Team made base-camp in the

“Shovel/Lounge” on the ground

floor.

The transition to the upper

floors would have been

relatively straight forward…if

Andy’s IR (infra-red) light

hadn’t died before we left

base-camp.

Could this have been an over-

sight?

I personally doubt it because I

know how pedantic Andy is

about checking and testing all of

his equipment before leaving for

an investigation. Either way, the

problems was swiftly rectified.

Raring to go, as soon as the

coast was clear, the Stoke

Haunted crew made their way

up to the second floor; an area

which the landlord and lady has

designed to be a self-contained

unit.

Instantly I was on the back-foot.

I was playing catch-up from the

moment that I entered the

premises.

With some of the team having

already partially investigated the

venue before when I was unable

to attend, I was having to

establish and document

information as it was presented

to me as well as determining

what details were provided

during the team’s last visit and

how it was linked to the new

reports.

From the moment that the team

ascended on to the second floor

we were assaulted with confusing

sound-based phenomena. At first

we were sure that someone was

either joining us in the lofty flat;

however, when that someone

failed to materialise Liz and Josie

went in search of a the possible

stray guest on the first floor –

there was nobody in or around

that area.

Being an old building I am

inclined to believe that the

original sounds heard could have

been a protesting staircase

settling after so many of us had

trawled up it; although, later into

the investigation the relaxing

building idea seemed to be less

plausible.

Does the building created from

ancient ship boards continue to

groan in memory of its time at

sea?

On the second floor flat there is

an old oak door which has been

taken off its hinges. Usually you

would expect an object like a

door to be removed or replaced;

however, I was informed by the

team’s mediums that the door re-

mains in situ because moving is

usually results in unwanted

“supernatural” activity for anyone

staying in that space – the alleged

energy linked to the propped-up

door is reported to be known as

“Derek” (the name previously

established during their last visit).

Ian proceeded to fill me in on the

information that I was missing any

missing. I am led to believe that

during a table-based divination

experiment information was

provided by “spirit” suggesting that

“Derek” was a travelling salesman

staying at the location. “Derek”

allegedly met an untimely end.

I was informed that Derek was

beaten to death. Ian added a

seemingly insignificant piece of

information to his description –

“Derek” prefers blondes!

Open minded as ever, I

documented this fact just in case a

brunette had any paranormal

happenings focused upon them

directly.

With little happening at the start

of the evening; other than random

noises, the team moved down to

the first floor. At this point the

team naturally split into smaller

groups so that they could cover

more area.

Whilst some reported that room

six’s wardrobe mirror acted as a

portal others stated that room

five exhibited a corner of the

room where the medium’s all felt

serious unease. Sadly nothing

visual was collected on the team’s

cameras.

Returning back to the fold of the

main Stoke Haunted team I was

advised that there may have been

a baby found bricked up within a

rooms walls. This room is now

dressed with all manner of baby

paraphernalia to allegedly

appease the child spirit despite

the landlady having no babies

living on the premises.

Also Matt; one of the team’s

resident mediums, told me that

the room was previously a sewing

space for someone named Elsie

Mae.

He advised me that the dates

1877 and 1887 were important.

Ian; another of the team’s

sensitives, provided me with the

name Catherine who he described

as having long red hair.

Keen to continue I followed the

team as they made their way to

Room 2 on the first floor.

Comically, Matt dove beneath the

white cast iron double bed frame

after stating that he felt very

childlike. Comedy aside, Matt

explained how he felt as if

someone was going to come

“thundering down the hallway and

into the room – his notion of

fearfulness was psychically noted.

Breaking the cycle of information

due to a number of questionable

bangs and thumps coming from

the empty flat above some of the

team broke away to return to the

second floor. I have to admit that

as I watched Matt under the bed I

got the feeling as if a young child

would have fell asleep under

there clutching a teddy.

Undoubtedly my mind must

have been linking the set-up with

many horror films which outline

remarkable similar situations –

these things often require very

little suggestion before someone

can apparently “link in”.

After a hearty yelp and following

commotion from those on the

uppermost floor, Andy left the

main body of the team in Room

2 in search of what was

unfolding.

Somewhat confused, the Stoke

Haunted team soon re-grouped

and returned to their base camp

to discuss their thoughts and

feelings. It is during this time that I

was informed that the oak door in

the flat had indeed been moved.

Being off its hinges, Ash physically

lifted the aged door and placed it

over the open doorway as if it were

being closed in a normal fashion.

Immediately the trio in the upper

area had noted that “Derek” made

his presence known. With some

surprise those in the flat recorded

how the oak door had been shifted

by more than a few inches to the

side when they tried to leave.

After our break everyone made

their way down into the cellar. I

have to hold my hands up here.

Within minutes of being in the

cellar I screamed. Yes, I screamed

loudly! Why? As half of the team

sat in one part of the cellar with

me we heard a scratching noise

coming from a far corner.

As we called out in the inky

blackness, asking for an energy to

make itself known, right on cue

the cooler fans kicked in. My

unprofessional scream was

followed by good humoured

laughing at myself. Well, if I

can’t laugh at myself once in a

while I am in the wrong

profession!

Collecting my senses the team

regrouped in the smaller part of

the cellar to partake in a glass

spinning exercise. I was hesitant

at first being as the table which

was in there had the alphabet

written on it making it a

homemade Ouija board. It is

not something that the team

usually do based on the bad

press and negativity usually

associated with them but we

were confined to the using the

equipment that the staff had set

up.

After opening the

communicative tool the name

Stephen Johnson was spelt out

for those using the planchet.

If there was indeed some energy

form using the table it indicated

that it died in 1869. Stephen

outlined that he died in Shelton,

Stoke on Trent at the age of

thirteen.

Although Stephen reported that his

death was not an accident he was

quick to tell the team that his death

was caused by misadventure.

Could it be that Stephen Johnson

was the young child once found

deceased on an operating table

within the Hartshill Orthopaedic

unit after tampering with; and

sniffing the gasses?

Without giving

away the full

report; which

will be

available in the

team’s

up-coming ebook in the New Year,

I can honestly say that The Four

Crosses looks every bit as spooky

as it is alleged to be from the

outside. With recent links to

Cannock Chase’s witchcraft,

Black-eyed children, werewolves

and UFO’s the pub leaves most

who visit for paranormal purposes

confused. What do you think?

Claire Atherton—Stoke Haunted