Haunted Courtney

I recently watched an episode of Paranormal Challenge , hosted by Zak Bagans. I've always respected Zak as an investigator, and for the most part, I still do. That's probably why I was so surprised by my reaction to the show. When it was over, I remember thinking... "What in the world did I just watch?" Is this really what ghost hunting has become? A competition? I'll admit, I wasn't a fan of the format. Ghost hunting has spent decades trying to be taken seriously, and then along comes a show where teams compete against each other as if investigating the paranormal is some kind of game show. That just doesn't sit right with me. What bothered me even more was the way some of the teams handled the equipment. In one episode, one of the investigators referred to technical equipment as "the thingy" and "the blinky thing." Really? That made me cringe a little. Ghost hunting already has enough skeptics. If we're going to ask p...

Can a ghost attach itself to an object? Can an object record a powerful event that happened with or around it and replay that event over and over? I've always found that idea fascinating. Personally, I believe that, in rare circumstances, a ghost can become attached to an object. However, I think most reports of haunted objects are actually the result of something else. One theory I've always found interesting is the idea of a residual haunting . A residual haunting is thought to happen when an object, or even a home, absorbs the energy from an intense event and later "replays" it. Some people believe these events can replay randomly or at a certain time, on a certain day, or even every year under the same conditions. The events most often associated with residual hauntings tend to be emotionally charged or violent. That's one reason battlefields are so often considered haunted. If residual hauntings are real, what people are witnessing may not be intelligen...

One thing I think we sometimes forget is that ghosts were people at one point. That means they probably weren't all the same. Just like the living, there would be kind spirits, grumpy spirits, sarcastic spirits, mischievous spirits, quiet spirits, and maybe even a few that are terrifying. We tend to lump all ghosts into one category, but people have never been that simple. Why would the afterlife be any different? I know the paranormal can be unsettling because there's still so much we don't understand. But sometimes it helps me to remember that, if I'm dealing with the spirit of a person, then I'm probably dealing with...well...a person. Someone with a personality. Someone with a sense of humor. Someone who had good days and bad days. Someone like you. Or me. Most ghosts probably aren't going to come floating down your hallway with blood dripping from a mangled stump while moaning, "My leg! Where's my missing leg?!" I mean... Unless they...

Have you ever noticed that your house just feels a little creepier during a thunderstorm? The floorboards seem to creak a little more. Shadows stretch across the walls. Every little noise suddenly has your full attention, and for just a split second, you wonder if someone whispered your name from the next room. Most people would say it's just your imagination. Maybe. But what if there was another reason thunderstorms have earned such an eerie reputation? Before we go any further, let's talk about something called EMF. EMF stands for electromagnetic field , and it's something many paranormal investigators pay close attention to during investigations. Some even use devices called EMF pumps, which are designed to increase electromagnetic fields to see whether this affects reported paranormal activity. Now let's get back to the storm. Lightning generates powerful electromagnetic energy. During a thunderstorm, the atmosphere is literally crackling with electricity. I...

This is something I've wondered about for years. In my experience and from the stories I've read over the years, it seems like many cemetery hauntings involve people who died in their mid-to-late teens or early twenties. I've often wondered if there's a reason for that. One theory I have is that, as young adults, we're much more attached to our physical bodies. At that age, it's easy to feel like who we are is tied to what we look like. Our appearance becomes a big part of our identity. If spirits really can become attached to this world, maybe that attachment doesn't disappear overnight. On the other hand, people who pass away later in life have had decades to build memories, relationships, and experiences. Their sense of identity may be less about the physical body and more about the life they've lived. If they were to remain behind, I sometimes wonder if they'd be more likely to linger around a favorite home, a family property, or another plac...

You can buy as many ghost hunting books as your bookshelf can hold, but nothing will prepare you for ghost hunting like actually getting out in the field. Most books will tell you what equipment to buy and how to use it, but usually you're on your own once you step into a haunted location. Here are a few tips to keep you safe and productive along the way. 1.) Let the police know you're there. This one is important. If you decide to investigate a cemetery at midnight, do yourself a favor and call the local police department first. Let them know what you're up to. Police officers regularly patrol cemeteries, and if they see flashlights moving around after dark, they're probably going to assume you're vandalizing graves or trying to steal something. Trust me. Getting questioned by the police in a cemetery isn't nearly as cool as it sounds. Besides, grave robbing is so 1700s. 2.) Don't bring your entire entourage.   The more people you drag into an aband...

I've always wanted to keep a record of the strange things that have happened to me throughout my life. Looking back, I think there's only one place to start: the first ghost I ever saw. Whether you believe what I experienced was paranormal or not, that single moment changed the course of my life. It sparked my fascination with ghost hunting and the unexplained. I was eight years old when my mom, stepdad, and I moved into a townhouse in Garland, Texas. There wasn't anything particularly unusual about the place. It looked like any other townhouse. Not long after we moved in, my parents surprised me by completely redoing my bedroom. They put in new carpet, painted the walls, and bought me a waterbed. To an eight-year-old, it felt like the coolest room in the world. A few nights later, a thunderstorm rolled in. I woke up to rain pounding against my bedroom window. As I rolled over to get comfortable, I happened to glance at the mirror attached to my dresser. That's wh...