From: To: Subject: [IGHS] Newsletter, June 6, 2004 Deming, New Mexico Date: Sunday, June 06, 2004 11:16 AM ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ International Ghost Hunters Society Newsletter June 6, 2004 from Deming, New Mexico Dr. Dave’s Notes: We have only one week left to register through the Internet for our Alamo Ghost Conference. After next weekend, all registrations must be at the door. We have registrations from Mexico, California, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, and of course, the great state of Texas, so far. We have limited seating so be sure to register early or risk not being able to attend. We have some excellent IGHS speakers (View the list at http://www.ghostweb.com/schedule.html) and after the sessions are over, join us for some hands on EVP investigations. As I was preparing material for the conference packet, I learned some interesting facts concerning the early days of Texas. Americans outnumbered Mexicans five to one, 20,000 to 5,000 living in New Spain, as Texas was called at that time. The Mexican government had given tax breaks to those who would settle in New Spain, but in return, Mexico would provide no protection against the Comanches. Fifteen years later, Mexico got worried about all of the Americans now in New Spain and cut off immigration and started to tax the people. The Mexican government was concerned because America had taken lands away from Spain in Florida and felt that New Spain was next. Many of the Americans who settled in New Spain came from Southern states and some settlers still practiced slavery, which Mexico did not allow. Add to this mix the growing sentiments spurred on by Austin’s campaigning for independence from Mexico. Sam Houston was not ready yet to lead his soldiers against Santa Anna's troops when in 1836, the battle of the Alamo commenced. The majority of the people living in New Spain was happy living under the Mexican government and did not want independence from Mexico. The actions of a few determined the outcome for the many. The burning of the bodies without allowing the Last Rites was the final display of the contempt that Santa Anna had toward those who fought at the Alamo. According to the Alamo.org web page, “Santa Anna ordered the bodies of the Texans burned. The exact location of the funeral pyres has become hazy with the passage of time. One source indicates that a large fire was in the middle of the compound. That would place it somewhere in the modern plaza. Some Alamo historians are skeptical of this because it seems unlikely that Santa Anna planned to reoccupy the fort. At least two other bonfires were built along the old Alameda, near the intersection of modern-day Commerce and Bowie streets.” We know from past experience that those who died violent and or sudden death can be anchored to this earth plane because of unresolved issues or unfinished business. Mexican law required all settlers be baptized into the Catholic faith. The men who died were not given their last rites, and many may feel that was unfinished business. As in so many battlefields, the ghosts of soldiers killed still walk the battlefield; it is probably the same at the battle of the Alamo. The experiences of so many people who have visited the Shrine of Texas h ave come away with the feelings that they were not alone. The spirits of some of the defenders were still present. After the conference sessions, we will be conducting EVP investigations at the five Spanish Missions, with the Alamo being one of them. The other Spanish Missions we will be investigating include Missions San Jose, San Juan, Espada, and Concepcion. It was at Mission Espada that two of our 1999 conference members observed a large green orb that appeared outside the driver's window and then floated over to the passenger side window. The driver was a skeptic when she came to the conference and left a believer. As historic researchers, we try to uncover the background surround the hauntings we write about and investigate. How can anyone understand why spirits may still haunt a place if we do not understand the circumstances that led to their deaths? We have to separate the urban legends from historical facts. For example, the urban legend about the railroad tracks at Shane and Villamain where a bus load of children was hit by a freight train so today reports of cars stalled on the tracks will yield tiny hand prints on the trunk as these spirit children push the stalled car off of the track. No physical evidence exists that suggest a train-bus accident occurred in San Antonio. No police records, no hospital records, and no newspaper accounts. The road over the track is slanted and cars will roll off of the tracks naturally. The area is so dusty that this dust will certainly show up any hand prints on the trunk. This is a popular hangout for teenagers on Friday and Saturday nights. We have been there as cars, vans, and trucks lined up to take their turn over the track. People dust the trunks of their vehicles with baby power and while others place their hands on the baby power, leaving hand prints. The drivers of these vehicles are in seventh heaven when they discover these hoaxed hand prints. People want to believe that this urban legend is true that they disregard the facts and accept the myths surrounding the tracks. A couple of years ago, we got an email from a couple who went to a bridge where supposedly at midnight, if you honked your horn, a headless motorcycle rider would appear. They were disappointed that this did not happen. They said there were dozens of onlookers all honking their horns at midnight, but no headless motorcycle rider. Again, an urban legend that may have some basis for truth, but more likely, it was a myth started to induce fear that would keep teenagers away from the bridge a night. We would recommend some research before hand rather than just accepting urban legends at face value. While it is true that ghosts are everywhere, this statement does not suggest that every urban legend is true. Many web sites portray ghosts as evil or malevolent and promote that ghost hunting is risky as best. This line of thinking was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s when people thought ghosts were fragments of our souls. The western religions taught that ghosts were evil and that those who talked to ghosts or those who searched for them were in jeopardy of their salvation. What the church did not understand, they condemned. Today, we know that ghosts are the souls of those who lived and died here. They retained their essence of their physical life, their emotions, their personalities, and their intelligence. Today we understand more about life after death then ever before. We do not have to reply upon NDE for this information. We have accumulated a vast amount of research material that suggests that when we cross over beyond the grave that we will still be the mirror image of whom we were in this life. If we were happy campers here, we will be happy campers on the other side, conversely, if we were a SOB here, we will still be a SOB on the other side. It is strange that if we loved a person in this life that when they die, we suddenly become fearful of them when they return to let us know they still love us. Love survives the grave. We need to learn that simple fact and ignore the western religious view concerning the dead. It does not help when Hollywood scriptwriters produce scripts for films that portray ghosts as ghouls or as demonic phantoms. Hollywood films do not teach us facts, but rather seeks to promote gore, sex, and violence as box office successes. The real world of ghosts is not the fiction found in Blair Witch, but ghosts are the souls of those who have departed this life and for one reason or another remain here or who come back to this earth plane to visit loved ones. Death is not an end, but a comma in our journey. Happy trails. Dr. Sharon’s Notes: Dave and I send were sorry to hear of the passing of former President Ronald Reagan. We remember the years of his Presidency, the hardships of the time and how he made changes for the betterment of this country and his effect on the world. He had a love for his country and was a true statesman and humanitarian. We have been hit face first with the heat of summer in the southwest. It is now in the 100’s here in New Mexico, a bit more than we bargained for when deciding to remain here to complete some work. Shortly we will be leaving for San Antonio for the upcoming conference, but alas, it does not seem as though we will find any cooler temperatures. In the meantime, we do what we can to stay cool. A few days ago, Dave and I had to run some errands in town and while we were out, we stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up some food. We discovered fresh corn at a reasonable price and found watermelon that had been $4 earlier in the week was now $2.25. We bought some of each of the fresh foods and returned to the RV. The melon made a good lunch on a hot day and the corn we saved for dinner. The watermelon was juicy and delicious and was large enough that we had melon left over for later in the day. After dinner that evening, I indulged in more of the sugar sweet melon. After dinner, we decided to watch a video to help pass some time. I was enjoying the succulent melon while the movie played and while laughing at the program, we started joking. With the seriousness of the war waged in Iraq and all of the bad nightly news, it felt good to laugh and joke setting all of the negative aside for a while. Dave has always had a playful side to his personality and he did something that required a response from me, though normally I have a difficult time finding ways to sufficiently get him back. As I sat there thinking of what to do, I remembered as a small child, supposed to be asleep in bed, my sister and myself watching as Mom and Dad sat at the kitchen table spitting watermelon seeds at each other. We giggled as we watched the fun. I sat here eating watermelon and had it contained seeds, I most likely would have followed in the footsteps of my parents and spit seeds at Dave. That would be an easy reaction to Dave’s antics, but unfortunately, I was eating a seedless watermelon. I would have to think of something else. As I reached down with the spoon for another bite, I noticed a small piece of watermelon lying on the plate. I reasoned that it was a bit bigger than a seed but a lot softer on impact than a seed would be. I thought it would do nicely for what I had in mind. I scooped the small piece of melon onto the spoon, leaned the spoon back toward my left hand so the melon was facing the direction intended to go, toward Dave. Dave had removed his tank top earlier in the day for the sake of staying cooler. I figured I could fling the melon piece just right so it would land on Dave’s bare chest. It would be a quick, simple act and a person does not have to be a rocket scientist to accomplish something like that. I have never been a very good shot but since Dave was only a foot or so from me, I felt confident I could hit the mark and at least startle him. I carefully held the spoon handle in my right hand, held the rounded part of the spoon with the fingers my left hand, applied a little bit of pressure, and let it fly. I heard a splat and being quite satisfied, I looked over at Dave’s chest, the intended target. I saw no melon on his chest, yet I had heard the sound it made when it hit. Suddenly, I heard Dave say, “Honey!” I replied, “What,” trying to sound innocent. I looked at him letting him know I was pure as the driven snow, having done nothing and all the while thinking, “Where did that watermelon go.” Dave removed his glasses and I watched horrified as he took the watermelon from his eye. The trajectory the melon had taken once it left my spoon sent it behind his glasses to his eye. The amazing part of this was that it never hit his glasses at all, but it did splatter a bit of juice on the lens when it landed. Had I tried to hit him there, it probably would have landed on the original target, his chest. This just proves that my first statement about not being a very good shot as being correct. Dave was not hurt, thank goodness, but it did startle him as planned. I laughed until my sides ached while Dave got up to wash his face before it got sticky. I think he too was amazed at what had just happened, as he seemed to be at a loss for words. We had a lot of activity in the RV that day so maybe I should not be too quick to take all the credit for what ended up giving us quite a laugh the rest of the evening. On the other hand, maybe I should. Once in a while, a plan comes together. Ha-Happy Trails! IGHS San Antonio Ghost Conference on June 19th: Dave & Sharon are hosting their eighth annual IGHS Ghost Conference 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. See the video of the shadow people. 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. 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: Are you 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 the CD version is 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 your life. 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. 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 at http://www.ghostweb.com/memcert.html. 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't miss our next book, it is spooky! American Hauntings Investigated, due out in bookstores 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~