From: To: Subject: [IGHS] Newsletter May 2, 2004 Deming, New Mexico Date: Sunday, May 02, 2004 12:23 PM ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Remove Link To Unsubscribe from Newsletter: Click on Reply To or send email to ighs-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com for an automatic removal from this newsletter. Mission Statement: The Ghostweb is the official Web Site of the International Ghost Hunters Society. Membership in the IGHS is always FREE. The IGHS is dedicated and committed to the research, documentation, education, and investigation of ghostly phenomena recorded through EVP, digital, film and video photography. The IGHS is a society of ghost believers, ghost hunters, and ghost researchers with over 14,000 members in 87 countries worldwide. Travel Along with Dave & Sharon: Join us as we start our fourth year of RV traveling as we explore America's Most Haunted Sites. We had a dream and now we are living that dream of traveling across this great land in our little house on wheels with our Welsh Pembroke Corgi dog named BooBoo. We are currently investigating haunted sites in the Land of Enchantment. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ International Ghost Hunters Society Newsletter May 2, from Deming, New Mexico Dr. Dave’s Notes: We are looking for good examples of EVP ghost voice recordings for our next Jeff Rense program, if you have some segments, send them our way and we will acknowledge you as we play your recordings. Our next program with Jeff Rense will be on the first Friday in May. I have upgraded our Acoustica 2.25 to Acoustica 3.1, but am unable to download the 6.9 meg file because of our slow speed wireless modem. If anyone has already downloaded the Acoustica 3.1 and can burn it to a CD and ship it to me, I can enter my Acoustica Key to activate it. I have paid for the upgrade, but downloading it is just not possible. This is our curse for using Verizon Quick to Net speed of 14.4 kbps, but for downloads the speed drops to a slow 800 to 900 bps crawl. I have noticed the flowers coming into bloom; even the desert plants have little flowers on them. Spring has sprung and at least in southern New Mexico, the greenery is evident. A few weeks ago, we posted a photo of a batch of Carnelian on our Travel page that we collected over a period of three hours. If you have interest, you might drop by http://www.ghostweb.com/travel.html and view these beautiful gem stones that we pick up off of the desert floor. Spring is a great time to begin our home study courses for certification. Our home study courses represent a combined 38 years of experience in this field. We have followed the scientific approach for ghost hunting and paranormal investigation since the creation of IGHS in 1996. We do not incorporate psychics or mediums into our approach as only a few gifted people exist in this field. Beware of those who claim this gift, for so many seeking fame and fortune at your expense. Many of our members fall prey to web stores selling ghost hunting equipment, even if it is inexpensive, reports of slow shipping, such as two months to get equipment, to rude and disrespectful comments by their owners when questioned about delivery. I heard from a lady the other day whose order was 30 days overdue, which she thought she had ordered with us. I assured her that we did not carry the inexpensive product she ordered, simply because we found it to be a waste of money. She told me the name of the place she had ordered her product, and sure enough, I recognized the name and the jerk that runs the site. He promises quick week turn around and delivers 30 to 60 day deliveries. Cheap EMF meters, cards, or other displays are useless for measuring the electromagnetic strength during an investigation. EMF from both natural and man-made sources cannot be separated. Those units with an analog meter or LED lights ranging from 1 to 10 are absolutely useless. There is no way to determine the range of the EMF field to determine if the energy field is a suspect or man-made. Ghost hunting is not just about walking around with a meter, watching the pretty red LED light up, but it is about common sense and an understanding of the nature of ghosts. These cheap EMF meters are not as good as a basic compass that points to magnetic north. No man-made EMF will influence a compass, as it is by cheap EMF meters. The needle will point to the source of ghost energy, deviating from magnetic north. People flock to buy infrared thermometers that they point and register the temperature. However, without the red laser beam they are cheating themselves out of knowing exactly where the drop in temperature is occurring. The red beam highlights the exact spot within the beam. There is no way that a beamless infrared thermometer can aid the investigator to find that small area of floating energy. We have used both kinds and rejected the units that do not have the red laser five years ago in favor of those using red laser. Yes, you can purchase cheaper units, but why waste your money on products that fail to do the job. Beginners to ghost hunting can start out with a basic tape recorder, fresh audio tape and have a blast. It does not require huge outlays to get results. We are very much into digital photography; we do recommend new beginners to start out with EVP (ghost voice recordings) investigations before they jump deeper into equipment purchases. EVP recordings are fun and exciting. Ghost voices are filled with emotions and are always so different. Why look at a two dimensional photo when you can listen to human emotions being expressed from beyond the grave? Investigating the paranormal realm of ghosts can shed light on our understanding of the after life. Ghosts are the enigma of the Christian faith; they should not exist if we all go straight to heaven or hell, except in the Catholic faith where ghosts could be in the purgatory, a limbo between heaven and hell. Discover the reality of ghosts and that these spirits of the dead are not demons or evil, but the spirits of our loved ones, friends, and those who pass over, yet become anchored to this earth plane because of unfinished business, unresolved issues or simply because they do not want to move on. So much, we can learn by recording the voices of those still here. This can even become a family activity. It is clean, quiet, and respectful of those who are dead. It teaches that life does exist after death. Parents will drag their children to see the violence and sadistic acts committed in Passion of the Christ, yet these same parents riot against their children reading the nonviolent Harry Potter series. I don’t understand these parents. We suggest that ghost hunting is a positive experience. It teaches that life after life exists, that this life is not the end, but the beginning of another great adventure beyond the grave. Dr. Sharon’s Notes: It is Sunday morning once again and I always sit in awe of where the week has gone. Time flies by so quickly, it almost feels like someone has shortened our days, sneaking a few hours away from us, here and there. I have a little magnet that we picked up somewhere in our travels that says: Some People are so narrow minded their ears rub together. I think we know many of them. We enjoy being able to travel around the country to meet people and collect stories for our books. We are fortunate to be able to see what a beautiful country we live in and see the changes taking place with the threats and hardship this country has felt for some time now. We have watched a transition take place from a fun loving people to those who live in fear. It is almost like watching the sky clear after long days of stormy weather. Folks are peeping out their doors these days to make sure it is safe to step outside once again. There is a commercial on television these days geared to grab a person’s attention. A young girl stands beside her Mom in the garden as her Mom prunes the rose bushes. The child comments that plastic flowers last longer. In another scene, while riding in the car, her Mom enjoys the lively music playing on the radio until the child switches stations to a stock report. When preparing for bed, the girl hands her Dad a book to read to her; a heavy volume of statistics that most adults would never touch. What we see is the flipside of a normal childhood. Each scene lacks color, the child’s clothing is drab grey, her bedroom is white, and grey like something you would expect to see in a movie about a poor orphan girl. The shelves in her room are bare, the blanket is taut on her twin bed, and everything is tidy. There is obviously something serious missing from this girls young life. The point of the ad is that our children need the Arts in their lives as much as they need a formal education. I was intrigued by this idea and the way this child’s life was portrayed. It was a total contradiction to what you would expect a child’s life to be in this day and age, but it also made real sense. The child never smiled, her demeanor was strictly serious. There was nothing in her life to stimulate her creativity or imagination. Children do need exposure to art, music, sports, and functions outside of a normal education. It gives them the balance they need to face adulthood and to face the life ahead of them, otherwise, it is far more difficult to deal with issues in the future. There is nothing as sweet as a child’s laughter and I can’t imagine life without that laughter in it. As I flipped through the channels on the cable stations last week, I came across Biography, a program on A & E that tells about the lives of famous people. The program I came upon was the biography of J. K. Rowling, the Author of the Harry Potter series. The woman is amazing in that she was virtually living on a shoestring and wanted more for her life. She had always wanted to write books and had written several children’s books but wanted to do more. She said that for five full years, she envisioned herself as rich and famous. She was not sure how it would happen, or when, but she continued to see herself in a life she dreamed of. What she had going for her was her imagination and her dreams. Obviously, her imagination served her well, as Harry Potter has been a tremendous success with kids and adults. Rowling’s stories center on a young boy, selected from birth to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is magical in many ways. Harry learns, first of all that he is different, as he has no parents. He lives with an Aunt, Uncles and cousin his age that constantly remind him of how little value he has, other than to serve them. When Harry reaches the age of twelve, he discovers he is very special and meets people who hold him in high esteem. Once at Hogwarts, he learns about the death of his parents. He learns the value of friends, something he has never experienced before and the importance of being true to them. He learns not only lessons in magic but also lessons of life, priorities, and values. As he matures, the lessons become more difficult. He adheres to what he believes, and listens to his heart as Ron, Hermoine and Harry share each adventure. With each book, Harry grows in every aspect of his young life and people stand in long lines all night to be sure to get the latest release. It is the same with the videos as each movie can stimulate thought, imagination, and emotion. I have heard people rebuke the Harry Potter stories as teaching children the wonderful life of witchcraft that draws children into desiring that kind of life. People are scared to death of the idea of magic rather than knowing more about it and label the Harry Potter books in a light of drawing children into a world of demons and evil. This rings true of their ideas on ghost hunting and evoking the devil himself to them. How absurd. I have the Harry Potter series, and they are stories filled with a fascinating array of characters discovering the good and evil in life, fighting for the good in their many adventures while at Hogwarts. They are good, clean stories that act much in the same way as a Calgon moment, taking people from the daily stress of life into a world of fantasy and fun. Even the trees have personality and purpose. I grew up with the cartoon versions of Cinderella, Bambi, Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan, Dumbo and stories that have been taken off of some library shelves because they contain violent scenes that parents feel will effect their children in some way. I can recall feeling sorry for Dumbo with his awkward ears big enough that he could use them to fly. Some of the scenes were sad yet overall, the movies were heartwarming and fun loving, giving children of that time the good and bad sides of what can happen in life. We did not grow up sheltered in such ways that our parents forbid us to enjoy an afternoon at the matinee, watching elephants fly, fairies sprinkle fairy dust and coaches turn into pumpkins. The books and films were presented for entertainment and nothing was taken out of context to represent evil that would impact our lives. We were allowed the fun breaks from the real world to read and see on the big screen, the magic of Disney that stimulated our imaginations and encouraged us to read and enjoy the books available to us. Many schools and libraries have banned the Harry Potter books because parents do not want their kids exposed to the notion of witchcraft. Just as they have had Bambi and other stories that we used to enjoy banned because of alleged violence. The thought of children being exposed to magic horrifies some parents to the point of forbidding Harry Potter stories to be accessible to their children. I remember seeing a young girl sitting in a grocery store, on the floor, reading Harry Potter. I also remember the temptation to buy the child the book so she could take it home to read it at her leisure rather than having to sit on the cold, dirty floor in the grocery store. It is a sad thought that children are forbidden to read books that encourage imagination and teach the lessons a young boy learns as he grows up. The books are not geared or focused on teaching children how to cast spells or create potions, they are pure entertainment and pleasure that allow children and adults to escape a harsh world, even if just for the time it takes to read the stories or watch the movies. We are doing our children an injustice by deeming such valuable material to be evil and demonic. While watching the biography of J. K. Rowling, I found it interesting that the character of Hermoine is actually based on the type of child the author was when growing up. Hermoine is very smart and perky and a real asset to the trio of friends in the stories. She can seem a bit bossy though she learns not everyone appreciates her openness all the time, yet they know they need her brilliance to be successful in their adventures. She is a beautiful young girl and a heartwarming part of each story. She learns so very valuable lessons along the way as do her friends, Harry and Ron. I think of the young girl dressed in drab clothing facing life with no creativity and no imagination. It tends to amaze me that the very parents who grew up watching pirates fighting in Peter Pan, the witches in Snow White and the hateful stepmother in Cinderella, deny their children the fun and fantasy of Harry Potter. This day and age is so filled with real life tragedy and violence, it would seem people would be welcoming of a fantasy based on mystery and magic. Maybe it is just the word magic, that folks stumble over, but life is filled with magic and miracles, which are different only by definition. J. K. Rowling envisioned her success for five years and has seen her dreams unfold. We wrote Magic Dimensions for the purpose of helping people understand the power of a persons mind, the similarity between magic and miracles and seeing your dreams come true by believing. There is far more to life than what we find using our five senses. Sometimes, it takes believing, opening your mind to the possibilities and using a little more imagination. IGHS San Antonio Ghost Conference on June 19th: Dave & Sharon are preparing their annual Ghost Conference that will be held in San Antonio, Texas on June 19 at the Menger Hotel. The Conference for the third Saturday in June will focus on the ghosts of the Alamo, the Menger Hotel, and San Antonio, ghost photography, EVP recordings, and EVP evaluations. No psychics or mediums will be speaking, as we are a scientific based organization focusing on using scientific tools for recording and documenting the existence of ghosts. There will be a special investigation on Friday night for Inner Circle members. Group and military discounts are available. All events are within walking distance of your haunted hotel and meeting place. Special room rates of $95 at the Menger, just ask for the International Ghost Hunters Special, as long as rooms are available. We will have limited seating due to the meeting room limitations, so do not delay registering with Dave & Sharon. Check out http://www.ghostweb.com/alamo1.html. Digital Ghost Photography Handbook: Confused about orbs? What are dust orbs and how do they relate to real ghost orbs? Read our 20 page thermal bound book or download the PDF book and discover how digital photography is the wave of the future. We have been using digital since 1994 and we share with the reader, which are the best digital cameras on the market today. We also share what to look for when purchasing a digital camera and provide some protocols to avoid falling into the dust orb trap. Check it out at http://www.ghostweb.com/booklet2.html. How to Record and Analyze Ghost Voices: Traditional techniques for recording ghost voices are outdated and far less successful. Sharon and I have an accumulated 28 years of experience in ghost research and in evaluating ghost tools for field investigations. Along the way, we have discovered many hidden techniques that enable us to be tremendously successful in recording the voices of the dead. Our new book will disclose our time tested techniques in a step by step procedure that is easy to understand and to apply. Check out the book at http://www.ghostweb.com/booklet.html. We ship via Priority Mail through the Post Office, not the slow boat to China known as Media Mail that takes several weeks to arrive at an address. CD Version Home Study Courses: We offer two CD versions, one with the Home Study Course in PDF format that can be read by any hardware or software with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 4 or higher. This option is for those using the Mac Operating system or PC computer with an operating system that is not Windows based. We also offer the second version on the CD as the HTM version for PC computers using Wins95, Wins98, WindowsMe, and WindowsXP. The added features of this CD version, includes color photographs of spiritual orbs, spirit energy ectoplasm, a full body apparition and samples of ordinary airborne dust particles we call dust orbs that fool so many people. The separate Photo Analysis CD is now a part of the CD version. In addition, a printed copy can be made from CD, as in the printed version. We pay the shipping charges for Priority Mail in the USA, International Air Mail to Canada and for an extra ten dollars, we will ship it by Global Priority Mail to Europe and Asia. More information is available at http://www.ghostweb.com/mainhsc.html. Fulfill your dreams: Magic Dimensions We all have dreams that we wished that could be our reality, but we do not know how to make that wish come true for us. In our book, we teach about the magic of having your dreams fulfilled. We show the reader how to open a doorway for a new reality where your dream will come true. Many claim this process is a miracle, but Quantum Mechanics teaches us that our miracles are simply an application of this weird science. Out book can show you how to create that miracle! We share with the reader the magical techniques that create the miracle we seek after in life. Magic Dimensions may be one of the most important books that will change people’s lives. Visit our web site at http://www.ghostweb.com/magic1.html for more info on ordering the book. The ISBN number is 0-595-22032-0 and can be ordered from any bookstore or online at major dot.com bookstores. The online e-book can be downloaded immediately. IGHS T-shirts Available: We are pleased to announce that we have our new IGHS light blue 50/50 screen printed T-shirts available. The two sided printing has a large full size on the back and a smaller size image on the front, over the left pocket area. Limited sizes are available ranging from XL to 2XL. Check them out at http://www.ghostweb.com/tshirt1.html. Life Time IGHS Member Certificate: Instead of renewing every year, IGHS members can now purchase a Life Time Membership for $60 or a Life Time Membership and Life Time Clip ID Badge for $75. This is available through PayPal and through our online Secure Order Form. IGHS ID Badges for Investigations: We have received many requests for some kind of Identification Badge to wear while conducting field investigations. We have created a laminated ID Badge with a metal clip that snaps onto your shirt or other piece of clothing. It says that you are a Registered Ghost Hunter/Paranormal Investigator in good standing with the International Ghost Hunters Society and it has our signatures and web address. Order the ID Badge at http://www.ghostweb.com/id_badge.html. Password Memberships: We offer a special membership in our Ghostweb Ghost Galleries. Due to the size of these ghost galleries, we have to limit the number of people because of the bandwidth consumed by downloading the photos, spirit voices, and ghost videos in this area. If you want to view over 9,000 ghost photos, EVPs, and videos, check out our membership program at http://www.ghostweb.com/pass.html. IGHS Membership Certificates: The IGHS offers a beautiful Membership Certificate. The membership certificate is valid for one year Check it out at http://www.ghostweb.com/memcert.html for more information. Kind regards, Dave, Sharon & BooBoo International Ghost Hunters Society Currently in Deming, New Mexico Copyrighted 2004 by Dr. Dave Oester All Rights Reserved. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our next book is spooky! American Hauntings Investigated, due out in August 2004 Alamo Ghost Conference -- June 19, 2004 -- San Antonio, Texas http://www.ghostweb.com/alamo1.html Dave Oester, Ph.D., DD. Sharon Gill, Ph.D., International Ghost Hunters Society 713 W Spruce, PMB 715 Deming, NM 88030 Web URL: http://www.ghostweb.com Email: MagicDimensions@aol.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~