Ghost Trackers Newsletter - Vol 10 No 1 - 1991 02

Magazine Overview

Title: Ghost Trackers Newsletter
Issue: Vol. 10, No. 1
Date: February 1991
Publisher: Ghost Research Society (GRS)

This issue of the Ghost Trackers Newsletter, dated February 1991, announces a significant promotion within the organization and dedicates the content to the memory of a prominent figure in parapsychology. It details ongoing and upcoming activities of the Ghost Research Society, features articles on folklore and unexplained phenomena, and includes personal accounts of paranormal experiences.

Editors Page

The editors page welcomes readers to the latest edition and announces the promotion of Howard Heim to the position of Research Director of the GRS. Heim, a long-standing member, will now serve as a right-hand man, responsible for research and investigation leads. The newsletter is also seeking State Coordinators, Area Research Directors, and Field Investigators in various states, including Illinois. The editors express gratitude to numerous individuals for their contributions, including photographs, clippings, information, and Christmas cards. The issue is dedicated to the memory of D. Scott Rogo, a parapsychologist, author, and psychic researcher who was tragically killed by stabbing on August 17th. Rogo was a frequent participant in seminars and conferences, with his books covering topics like telepathy, clairvoyance, and ESP. The GRS has welcomed six new members and received renewals from four members since the last issue.

Ghost Research Society Activities

The "Excursions Into The Unknown" tours from the previous year were highly successful, and plans are underway for a Northside tour in the coming year. The "Overnight Haunted Indiana Ghost Tour" is in the planning stages, with more details to follow. Additionally, a "Strange Mysteries conference" is planned for early Spring, featuring lectures on parapsychology, UFOs, Bigfoot, and Atlantis. The GRS is also being considered for a segment in a CBS television series tentatively titled "Real Ghosts", with a Chicago episode potentially featuring the organization and its members. New contributing members are listed, along with new sustaining and active research members. The November issue of Fate Magazine featured an article on Chicagoland ghost hunters, including the GRS, written by member Paul Miller. The newsletter also mentions a song about the ghost of Resurrection Mary and an upcoming directory titled "National Register of Haunted Houses". The "Newsletter of the Quarter" is identified as Thresholds, published by the College of Metaphysics.

The Wild Hunt in Folklore and Ghostlore

Authored by Tom Perrott, this article explores the legend of the "Wild Hunt," a superstition thought to have originated in Anglo-Saxon times. It describes the belief that on stormy winter nights, the Norse God Odin, disguised as a mounted Huntsman accompanied by baying hounds, would chase across the sky. Those who beheld the Wild Hunt risked being transported to foreign lands or facing dire consequences if they addressed the Huntsman. With the rise of Christianity, ancient gods were demoted, and the Huntsman's role was identified with Satan. In some regions, the huntsmen's horses transformed into "headless" horses, often with a headless driver of a phantom coach. The article suggests a possible link to Celtic beliefs about the human head or a forgotten memory of sacrificial rituals. The identity of the Huntsman sometimes merged with national heroes like Sir Francis Drake. The "Wisht Hunt" and "Wisht Hounds" are mentioned in relation to Dartmoor, with "Wishtman's Wood" being a particularly haunted spot. The legend describes the Hunt as seeking the souls of unbaptized babies, with the hounds themselves sometimes being these souls transformed. The article concludes by noting the enduring nature of these legends and their potential connection to modern inexplicable phenomena.

Circles In The Fields--Kansas City Style

Maurice Schwalm reports on a series of crop circles that appeared in the Kansas City area on September 14, 1990, as reported by The Kansas City Star. The article details a 50-foot circle near Bates City, Missouri, and three additional circles to the southeast and west of the city. The vegetation in these circles was flattened in a uniform pattern, with no obvious signs of contamination or microbursts. A notable anomaly was the Bates City circle expanding to the size of a football field. Two witnesses reported hearing a "loud sweeping sound as over cement" on the morning of September 13, which they described as a non-motorized "whoosh" with upward air pressure. The article also mentions other similar phenomena in Great Plains states, including grass circles in South Dakota formed of a gray powdery substance (identified as a fungus) and grubbed or burned-off circles in North Dakota. Schwalm proposes a "Spacebug" hypothesis, suggesting that these circles are created by a transparent insectoid bioform whose behavior is driven by chemical needs, potentially using chemically generated infrared energy for foraging and ash for fertilization. The hypothesis suggests these "insects" wish to join the forest web ecology.

A Ghostly Encounter

Eugene Trundy shares a personal experience of encountering what he believes to be the ghost of a young woman named Jill Parker in Stillwater, Washington. Four years prior to the account, Trundy met Jill and they consumed approximately ten cans of beer. Later, when he went to pick her up, he noticed an anomaly: only five empty cans remained, despite them having drunk ten. He then learned from a local bar manager named Bill that Jill had died by suicide ten years earlier, after her son Ricky was killed by a car. Bill explained that Jill's ghost sometimes meets people, leading them towards an abandoned house before disappearing. Sounds of Ricky and his toys are occasionally heard, and a swing moves on its own. The town has since lowered its speed limit to 25 MPH due to the tragic events. Trundy hopes sharing his experience will be believed, as he feels validated by the existence of a society dedicated to such phenomena.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the paranormal, including folklore (The Wild Hunt), unexplained aerial phenomena (crop circles), and hauntings (Jill Parker's ghost). The Ghost Research Society appears to maintain an open-minded stance, investigating a wide range of phenomena from historical legends to contemporary reports. The editorial stance is one of seeking information, encouraging member participation, and memorializing those who have contributed to the field of parapsychology. The newsletter aims to document and explore unexplained events, bridging the gap between folklore and modern scientific investigation.

Title: The Emerald Path
Issue: Vol. 2, No. 2
Date: January 1983
Publisher: GreenSheep
Focus: Networking Newsletter for the New Age, covering topics such as channeling, astrology, tarot, dreams, humor, poetry, philosophy, and reviews, with a particular emphasis on paranormal phenomena.

Personal Accounts of Spiritual Contact

The issue opens with a story submitted by the wife of the founding member of the GRS, Martin Riccardo, detailing her experiences with possible contact from her deceased parents. She describes a premonition and a voice heard in her head before her mother's death from Multiple Sclerosis. Following her mother's transition, she experienced dreams and received messages through songs her mother loved. After her father's death eight months later, she had a dream where he appeared happy and in radiant health. A particularly striking experience involved her mother-in-law having a similar dream about the author's father on the same early morning.

Denise Riccardo, the author of this account, also shares that her mother-in-law experienced a paralysis state and heard a crackling electrical sound after her dream. Riccardo expresses her firm conviction that the spirit survives bodily death and seeks information to better understand her own experiences, particularly the electrical sounds. She wishes to share her experiences to give hope to others who have lost loved ones.

Ghosts vs. Spirits: A Distinction

Rev. Speaker Gerald Polley addresses the question, "What Is The Difference Between a Ghost and a Spirit?" He states that there is no difference from his perspective as a Spirit Communicator. He defines a Ghost as a normal, benign spiritual entity trapped in the material realm, often due to circumstances surrounding its death, seeking to communicate before release. He notes that phenomena associated with hauntings often result from sensitive people picking up the desires and final feelings of these entities, sometimes reliving their final moments. Polley describes a second, rarer, and more dangerous type of spiritual entity: unbenign entities or Demons, who cannot enter the Spirit Realm due to their cruel lives and the suffering they caused. These entities exist in the darkest places, drawing life energy from dying bodies, and are responsible for violent hauntings.

News Briefs and Unusual Occurrences

The Haunted Bookstore by W. Ritchie Benedict presents several short news items:

• Burning Boy A Puzzle (Beijing, China - February 5, 1990): Doctors are alarmed by a new medical mystery involving a four-year-old boy whose body spontaneously ignites. His grandmother reported seeing smoke from his trousers, and a hole was burned through his clothing. The boy reportedly ignited four times in two hours, with his right armpits and private parts affected. Doctors noted a strong electric current running through his body.
• Thai Men Fear Sex-Starved Ghosts (Bangkok, Thailand - April 15, 1990): Men in rural northeastern Thailand are painting their fingernails red to deter female ghosts hunting for husbands. This practice began after reports of hundreds of Thai workers dying mysteriously in their sleep in various countries. Residents of a village decided that ghosts who died as widows were hunting for husbands and killing men in their sleep.
• Disney Ghost Sparks Video Rush (Los Angeles, USA - AP): Video stores were besieged with requests for the movie 'Three Men and a Baby' due to speculation about a child's ghost in one scene. Ryan Bicknell, operations manager at Music Plus, reported all copies were rented out. The movie was already the number one rental in video history. The eerie figure, partially obscured in a window, is described as looking like a young boy hiding behind a curtain. Jon Roup of Network Video in Pittsburgh stated it made his hair stand up. Buene Vista Home Video spokesman Steve Feldstein confirmed inquiries but stated the figure was actually a cardboard cutout.
• Hindu Faithful Turn Tree Into A Shrine (Calcutta, India - June 30, 1990): A 50-year-old tree that burst into flames became a shrine. Believers consider it the home of the Hindu god Siva. After the fire, a split in the trunk revealed a stone object resembling a lingam, the phallic symbol of Siva, which people believed materialized from within. A white snake was also seen coming out of the crack. Worshippers gathered, believing 'God has emerged,' and began daily rituals of prayer, pouring milk and offering coins.

Writer Wants Ghost Stories

Debra D. Munn is seeking ghost stories from Montana for her second book, a sequel to 'Ghosts on the Range: Eerie True Tales of Wyoming.' She is interested in true, spooky stories from the state, whether personal or secondhand accounts, and prefers to use real names but will respect anonymity. Her deadline is May.

Book Reviews

The "Book Reviews" section features several reviews:

• The Mexican Pet, (More "New" Urban Legends and Some Old Favorites) by Jan Harold Brunvand: Reviewed by W. Ritchie Benedict. The reviewer discusses the nature of urban legends and the importance of understanding the human need for belief, even in fictional tales. He highlights the book's exploration of various categories of legends, including those involving animals, contaminations, sex, crime, and more. The reviewer notes that while archetypal tales may not be true, their prevalence is significant. He suggests the book helps readers approach wild stories with a grain of salt.

• The Ghostly Gazetteer by Arthur Myers: Reviewed by Dale Kaczmarek. This book is described as a resume of haunted locations across the United States. Kaczmarek notes the book's value but criticizes the lack of real addresses, which hinders researchers. He also comments on the poor quality of some photographs.

• Phantom Forces by Richard Rainey: Reviewed by Dale Kaczmarek. This book is a collection of little-known stories with psychic connections about famous historical figures and disasters of war. It covers figures like Rasputin, Abraham Lincoln, and Joan of Arc. Kaczmarek found it well-researched and interesting, noting that many figures had psychic experiences or encounters.

• Satan's Harvest by Michael Lasalandra & Mark Merenda: Reviewed by Dale Kaczmarek. Authored by journalists and narrated by demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, this book relates the story of Nancy and Maurice Theriault and a demonic possession. Kaczmarek describes it as a sad and frightening story that raises interesting points about demonic possession.

• Voices Of Eternity by Sarah Wilson Estep: Reviewed by Dale Kaczmarek. This book details Sarah Wilson Estep's work in recording and interpreting spirit voices, as President and Founder of the AA-EVP. It documents her travels and experiments with Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) and provides hints on how readers can record spirit voices.

• The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Mysteries by Colin Wilson: Reviewed by Dale Kaczmarek. This is described as an excellent and well-researched book covering psychic powers, historical enigmas, haunted locations, and visitors from other worlds. It contains forty-two true cases that remain unexplained.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the paranormal, specifically ghosts, spirits, and the afterlife. There is a strong emphasis on personal experiences and anecdotal evidence, as seen in the lead story and the call for submissions from Debra D. Munn. The distinction between benign spirits and dangerous entities (demons) is explored, highlighting the potential risks involved in paranormal investigations. The issue also touches upon the phenomenon of urban legends, examining their psychological basis and prevalence. The book reviews cover a wide range of paranormal topics, from haunted locations and psychic phenomena to demonic possession and Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into the unexplained, encouraging readers to share their experiences and seek understanding, while also cautioning about the serious nature of some paranormal phenomena.

This issue of the Ghost Trackers Newsletter, identified as issue number 20, features a collection of book reviews, announcements, and reader feedback. The content focuses on paranormal topics, UFOs, and related phenomena, reflecting the newsletter's niche.

Book Reviews

Review of an Unspecified Book on Curious Episodes

The first review, by Dale Kaczmarek, discusses a lavishly illustrated book that delves into numerous curious episodes. These include Atlantis, the mystery of the moving coffins, The Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, Dillinger's death, the Grey Man of Ben MacDhui, Shroud of Turin, Joan of Arc, Loch Ness Monster, the Mary Celeste, the Money Pit of Oak Island, Robin Hood, spontaneous human combustion, the great Siberian explosion at Tunguska, UFOs, and Patience Worth. Kaczmarek was particularly intrigued by the story of the Money Pit of Oak Island and Captain Kidd's treasure. He was also impressed by the book's literary style and research, rating it an 8 out of 10 and calling it a "most welcome addition to anyone's library."

Review: The Unquiet Dead by Dr. Edith Fiore

Dale Kaczmarek also reviews "The Unquiet Dead" by Dr. Edith Fiore (Ballantine Books, 1987). The book explores the experiences of patients with psychological and psychosomatic problems, leading Dr. Fiore, a noted psychologist, to discover that a significant number suffered from spirit possession. Kaczmarek found the book interesting, noting that a professional psychologist conducted research into the parapsychological implications of spirit possession. He highlights Dr. Fiore's statement that her therapy for releasing troubled individuals from unwanted spirits was always successful, posing the question of whether this is due to willpower or post-hypnotic suggestion. He rates the book a 6 out of 10.

Review: Hauntings and Happenings of Loudoun by Frank Raflo

Another review by Dale Kaczmarek covers "Hauntings and Happenings of Loudoun" by Frank Raflo (Potomac Press, 1978). Kaczmarek met the author during a ghost tour in Virginia. Raflo, described as a local expert on the supernatural, shared his own paranormal experience concerning his son's death in a car accident, which he believes coincided with the moment his son was thrown from the car. The book contains local stories illustrated with drawings, but lacks exact locations. Kaczmarek rates it a 5 out of 10.

Announcements and Information

National UFO Museum

An announcement details the upcoming opening of the National UFO Museum in Reno, Nevada, in 1991. The museum aims to be an archive, repository of UFO data, bookstore, and resource center. It plans to publish books, a newsletter for members of the "Friends of the Museum" association, and an annual calendar of UFO history. Interested individuals can send $2 to the museum to be added to their mailing list for updates. The address provided is National UFO Museum, P. O. Box 20593, Sun Valley, NV 89433.

Total Eclipse! Illustrated Journal

An advertisement for "Total Eclipse! Illustrated Journal of the Occult, Bizarre and Unusual" offers subscriptions for 6 issues per year at $12.00 US, $14.00 Canada, and $17.00 Foreign. A sample issue is available for $1.00 plus legal SASE. The mailing address is PO Box 1055, Suisun City, CA 94585.

Classified Advertisements

Several classified ads promote various publications and services:

• CATALYST (1990 Limited Edition New Age Directory): Described as an extensive resource for New Age/Metaphysical/Health networking, with a large Personals Resource Section. It costs $5.95 plus $2.00 P&H ($5.00 overseas). Orders can be sent to Catalyst, PO Box 670022GT, Marietta, Ga. 30066.
• INTUITIVE EXPLORATIONS: A monthly publication covering Tarot, Astrology, Numerology, Psychic Development, Reincarnation, Soul Mates, Karma, and True Life Experiences. Subscriptions are $15.00/year (US), $20.00/year (Canadian), and $35.00/year (Overseas). A sample copy is $2.00. Write to INTUITIVE EXPLORATIONS, PO Box 561, Quincy, Il., 62306-0561.
• VOICES FROM SPIRIT MAGAZINE: Offers Spirit interviews, articles, and advertisements. A $4.00 donation provides 6 bi-monthly issues. Contact VOICES, PO Box 5155, Ellsworth, Me. 04605. A sample issue requires two 25 cent stamps.
• The Journal of the International Fortean Organization General Index: Covers issues 1-50 (1967-1986). It is 140 pages, softbound, and costs $12.50 plus $2.50 postage and packing. Order from INFO, PO Box 367, Arlington, Va., 22210-0367.
• PSYCHIC PATHWAYS: A bi-monthly newsletter offering news and features, particularly for advertising. Contact Psychic Pathways, PO Box 418, Woodmere, NY. 11598.
• EXPLORING UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA III: A conference scheduled for May 17-19, 1991, in Lincoln, Nebraska, hosted by The Fortean Research Center. Contact Scott H. Colborn, Director, The Fortean Research Center, PO Box 94627, Lincoln, NE., 68509.
• HEALTH, HOLISTIC & ESP EXPO: A consumer show on health, ecology, and human development, to be held at the Rosemont-O'Hare Exposition Center on January 18-20, 1991. Contact Rising Star Promotions, Inc., PO Box 1057, Buffalo, NY. 14213.
• THE GATE: A publication featuring factual articles and scientific/occult newsclippings. A sample copy is $1.25 from P.O. Box 43518, Richmond Heights, Ohio 44143. Make checks payable to Beth Robbins.
• INNER EYE METAPHYSCIAL BOOKSTORE: Offers books, crystals, tapes, and jewelry related to Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, Enlightenment, Divination, Runes, Addiction/Recovery, Feminist Issues, and Holistic Health. Located at 419 Crescent, Lombard, IL 60148.
• PAN-AMERICAN INDIANS: Offers a free sample copy of a 16-page Indian tabloid newspaper covering news, history, humor, magic, penpals, genealogy, networking, and resources. Send name and address to PAN-AMERICAN INDIANS, Nocatee FL 33864-0244.

Opinion Polls and Editor's Notes

Reader Feedback

Several readers shared their opinions:

• Chestina Stewart (Rantoul, Illinois): Suggested a "Free page" for members to get acquainted.
• Rochelle Zaszczurynski (Chicago, Illinois): Commented on the need for better quality paper for the covers and noted that some text on the inside pages was partially missing.
• Lee A. Wall (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): Expressed a desire for more personal experiences, even if it increased the price. He found the newsletter's theme well-executed, easy to read, and interesting, stating, "I am always very happy to get the Ghost Trackers Newsletter. I couldn't enjoy it more."

Editors Note

The editors noted that they previously maintained a cross-country mailing list but discontinued it due to lack of interest, expressing willingness to try again if there is sufficient interest. They also announced improvements in the newsletter's text quality due to the implementation of a laser printer, achieving "laser print quality" (300 dpi). The editors are seeking ways to further upgrade the publication, including the potential addition of graphics and scanned images with a desktop scanner, but this depends on acquiring the necessary funds. Donations are gratefully accepted and should be made payable to Dale Kaczmarek. The editors also emphasized the need for reader input for additional columns and personal encounters, and that contributors receive a free issue.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are paranormal investigations, book reviews of related topics (UFOs, hauntings, mysteries), and community building within the paranormal enthusiast group. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, encouraging reader participation and striving for continuous improvement in the newsletter's quality and content. There is a clear emphasis on providing information and resources for those interested in the unexplained.