Phantoms and Monsters

Survey Reveals Americans of Faith Believe in the Supernatural
London's Prince of Darkness - The Highgate Vampire
The Mothman Legacy: MIB, Prophecy and Tourism
Alien Close Encounter - Monahans, Texas - 12/11/09

Survey Reveals Americans of Faith Believe in the Supernatural

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 12:05 PM PST

uk.reuters - Although most Americans are Christian and many are devout it hasn't stopped some members of the flock from believing in astrology, reincarnation or the ability of trees to trap spiritual energy.

A poll by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life shows a surprising number of U.S. adults claim to have had supernatural experiences such as ghost sightings or hold beliefs associated with the New Age movement or Eastern religions.

And some of them claim allegiance to more traditional faiths such as Catholicism or evangelical Protestantism.

"American religious folks hold a variety of views and there is overlap among their beliefs and practices. Many do not fit into simple boxes," said Pew researcher Alan Cooperman.

The poll released on Wednesday showed that three-in-ten Americans say they have felt in touch with a dead person and 18 percent say they have seen or been in the presence of a ghost.

Other Pew surveys have shown that relatively few Americans would identify an Eastern religion or New Age spirituality as their core faith. But about a quarter of those surveyed say they believe in aspects of Eastern religions.

Nearly 25 percent said they believed in reincarnation and 23 percent said yoga was a spiritual practice. Twenty six percent said they believed "spiritual energy" could be found in objects such as trees.

A quarter said they believed in astrology, while 16 percent of U.S. adults think that an "evil eye" exists or that some people can cast curses or spells on others. Among black Protestants the evil eye figure is 32 percent.

The number of Americans who profess a belief in astrology is about the same as the number who claim to be Roman Catholic. Nearly 30 percent of Catholics surveyed said they believed in astrology. Among Catholics who attended church each week the figure was 16 percent.

Much of this would be jarring to -- among others -- many evangelical Protestants, who account for one in four adult Americans and take their Bible very seriously.

Still, 13 percent of white evangelicals profess a belief in astrology and about 10 percent accepted the possibility of reincarnation. Although the percentages are lower than in other groups, they are high enough to curl the hair of a Southern Baptist preacher.

Researchers said they were careful to stress that reincarnation meant being reborn again and again in this world and did not refer to, say, the resurrection of Christ.

Evangelicals, who place a heavy emphasis on spiritual conversions, are much more likely than most Americans to have had "a religious or mystical experience -- that is, a moment of religious or spiritual awakening," according to the poll.

About half of Americans claim to have had such an experience but among white evangelicals the number is 70 percent and for black Protestants it is 71 percent.

The nationwide survey of around 4,000 adults was conducted in August. Interviews were done in English and Spanish.

London's Prince of Darkness - The Highgate Vampire

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 12:59 PM PST

Click for video

The Highgate Cemetery is an old Victorian-style cemetery located on the North London hill site spread over 37 acres. It is rumored to have been the source of inspiration for the famous scene of the cemetery in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. Dusty vaults, ivy-strewn pathways, desecrated coffins and shadowy goings-on. However, the noteriety of Highgate Cemetery reached a gothic climax during the 1960s and early '70s when it was alleged that a tall, dark, red-eyed phantom prowled the catacombs of this neglected burial ground.

In December 1969, David Farrant, decided to spend the night there, according to his account written in 1991. In a letter printed in a London newspaper, he wrote that when passing the cemetery on 24 December 1969 he had glimpsed "a grey figure", which he considered to be supernatural, and asked if others had seen anything similar. Several people replied, describing a variety of ghosts said to haunt the cemetery or Swains Lane besides.

As a result, even the most bizarre reports were considered credible and London papers jumped on the bandwagon.

Sean Manchester, self-proclaimed vampire hunter and then 'President of The British Occult Society', relates in his autobiographical 'The Highgate Vampire' that the whole affair started when a pair of female teenage students from La Sainte Union Convent saw what they described as graves opening and bodies rising in the north gate section in the Western Cemetery, on Swains Lane. The phantom was later linked to dead foxes discovered in the cemetery, and reportedly drank the blood of several local women. Trespassers were supposedly left clutching their throats after attacks by an unseen assailant.

Manchester was reported to say that he believed 'a King Vampire of the Undead', a medieval nobleman who had practiced black magic in medieval Wallachia, had been brought to England in a coffin in the early eighteenth century, by followers who bought a house for him in the West End and later leased the home of Sir William Ashurst (Lord Mayor of London in 1694) on the site that later became Highgate Cemetery.

Manchester claimed that modern Satanists had roused him and the right thing to do would be to stake the vampire's body, and then behead and burn it, but regrettably this would nowadays be illegal.

It is surprising that the 'Highgate Vampire' does not rival London's other mysterious figures, namely 'Jack The Ripper' and 'Spring-Heeled Jack' in popularity. The hysteria surrounding the phenomenon has all but vanished since the 1970s, when thousands would flock to the cemetery for nightly vigils in search of the undead.

After the hysteria in the 1970s, the cemetery is now 'guarded' by the 'Friends Of Highgate Cemetery' who allow access only by guided tour.

Whatever the truth is behind Highgate's monstrous abomination, many believe something did and still may lurk in that shadowy place and locals fear that perhaps the darkness may return one day.

Click for video

Sources:
http://vampires.monstrous.com/
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum
http://www.holygrail-church.fsnet.co.uk/
http://www.davidfarrant.org/

The Mothman Legacy: MIB, Prophecy and Tourism

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 10:17 AM PST

appindie - "On a chilly, fall night in November 1966, two young couples drove into the TNT area north of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, when they realized they were not alone," reads the plaque on the front of a twelve foot tall stainless steel sculpture of the Mothman that stands eerily in downtown Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

The legend of the Mothman was born in the small town of Point Pleasant during the 1960's when over a hundred eyewitnesses were horrified by something they had never seen before. The townspeople began reporting sightings of a tall creature with piercing red eyes and demon wings. The creature was said to be about eight feet tall and resembled the figure of a man.

Today, the little town in West Virginia still remembers the events that took place. A book was even written by John A Keel, supernatural phenomenon expert and writer. Keel investigated the events in the town and put his findings and works together in the book "The Mothman Prophecies." The book also inspired the creation of the 2002 Richard Gere film "The Mothman Prophecies." Hundreds of websites have been dedicated to the investigations, events, and witnesses of the phenomenon. Tourists and cryptologists (researchers of entities that have not been scientifically proven or explained) flock to the town to visit the world's only Mothman Museum and Mothman statue. A festival is also held every year in memory of the legend. Tours and guides are also given to anyone interested in probing the little town of every nook and cranny the story can offer. Tourism, tourism, and even more tourism seems to be the biggest reason people visit the town today.

Point Pleasant is approximately 226.57 miles from Frostburg, Maryland, averaging about a three and a half hour drive along interstate 68 West. The best way to get there is by simply taking the interstate and driving west through Morgantown, Clarksburg, and Pomeroy until you reach Point Pleasant.

The story of the Mothman is very widely known, if you're into that sort of thing. When asked if they have heard of the Mothman, many people in Frostburg, Maryland, replied, "What in the hell is a Mothman?" Brett Showalter is among a handful of FSU students that have seen the movie, know the story, and quite frankly are very spooked by it. "There aren't a lot of ghost stories that really get to me, to be honest," claimed Showalter as he ran his slender fingers through his dark gel-tipped hairdo. "Honestly, if a dozen people around here started saying they saw giant green bunnies, I might say I saw one too just to be part of the hype. But the movie inspired me to do research, and after just a few days of looking around, I can tell you that Point Pleasant is NOT somewhere I would visit anytime soon."

Fortunately for Mr. Showalter, he was not one of the alleged eyewitnesses of the events. The first encounter of the Mothman took place on November 15, 1966, by David and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette. The two couples were traveling late at night in the Scarberry car. They passed the West Virginia Ordanance Works, an old abandoned World War II TNT factory. They noticed two red lights in the shadows by an old generator plant. After stopping the car, they realized the lights were the glowing eyes of a large creature, "shaped like a man, but bigger, maybe six and a half or seven feet tall, with big wings folded against its back," according to Roger Scarberry. The couples were terrified. They fled and reported what they saw to the police.

They were not the only ones who encountered this creature. On the 16th Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wamsley and Mrs. Marcella Bennett were going to see some friends who lived near the TNT plant. When Mrs. Bennett got out of the car she realized there was a figure lurking behind them. "It seemed like it had been lying down, slowly rising up from the ground, large and gray, with glowing red eyes." Mrs. Wamsley ran inside and phoned the police as the creature walked onto the porch and peered in at the couples through the window. The entity fled before the police arrived.

During these strange encounters, something terrible happened to the town of Point Pleasant. On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge, which connected Point Pleasant to Ohio, collapsed. It plummeted to the depths of the river, killing 46 people. The event was heavily investigated, and the only consensus of the collapse was a small manufacturing flaw in the single eye-bar suspension chain. The believers in the Mothman sightings would say that the two events are connected. Witnesses and believers even claim that the Mothman appears before upcoming disasters.

Between 1966 and 1977 there were over a hundred eyewitness encounters with the creature. Jeff Wamsley was among the few people willing to discuss his personal knowledge of the events. Mr. Wamsley has lived in Point Pleasant his entire life. "I actually live in nearby Gallipolis, Ohio, now…I was born and raised in Point Pleasant West Virginia…right down the street from where those original witnesses lived back in 1966," said Wamsley. "I grew up hearing about the Mothman sightings…I was always interested in the story because it took place literally in my hometown…I was lucky enough to launch two book projects that contained exclusive interviews with many of those original witnesses. I have collected archives for years and run the worlds only Mothman museum…I ran my own chain of record stores for about fifteen years." Mr. Wamsley now teaches graphic design in Point Pleasant at the career center and high school.

But the Mothman was only one of the mysterious things that occurred in Point Pleasant during this time. UFO's were often reported, including eerie encounters with the MIB (Men in Black). The Grinning Man, as many refer to him, was supposedly in Point Pleasant as well. The best known Grinning Man was Indrid Cold, who appeared during the Mothman sightings. The first encounter was on November 2nd of 1966. A man by the name of Woodrow Derenberger was driving home after work when he heard a sudden crash behind him. A strange vehicle shaped like an old furnace firing soot and embers at both ends sped by him and stopped, blocking off the road ahead. A tall thin man stepped out of the car and approached Mr. Derenberger. He approached with a broad grin on his face and said his name was Indrid Cold. The two men had a brief conversation about the Mothman sightings, and then Mr. Cold left.

There were a number of other encounters with a Mr. Indrid Cold after this night all descriptions matched, but no explanations. Jeff Wamsley briefly mentioned such strange things that he remembered during his childhood. "The UFO's were here before the Mothman stuff started occurring…the MIB were here asking witnesses and others a lot of questions…some witnesses were too scared to talk to anyone about what they saw." So there have been other strange occurrences in Point Pleasant? "Actually the Mothman sightings are just a small part of all that was going on here." It seems that while Point Pleasant is known only for the story of the Mothman, there is obviously much more to uncover in this small town.

While the media was never really interested in the occurrences of Point Pleasant, the entertainment platform seemed to grasp the story with great intensity. The two biggest contributors to the widespread attention the town has received today is the 1975 book by John A. Keel and the 2002 Richard Gere movie, both titled "The Mothman Prophecies." Many citizens in Frostburg and Cumberland were asked if they have read the book or seen the movie. Out of about two dozen people questioned, only five had ever even heard of the book.

One of the few dozen people that were asked about the movie was Jonna Schartiger. Ms. Schartiger grew up in Cumberland, Maryland, is currently a junior studying business at Frostburg State University, and has seen the film. Schartiger agreed to meet in Dunkle Hall on Tuesday October 20th after her philosophy class to answer some questions. When asked what she thought of the story she replied, "It's a load of crap, if you really want my opinion. I don't believe in sorts of things like UFO's, or Mothmen. I know that some pretty weird things happened in West Virginia, but lots of weird things happen everywhere all the time. That doesn't mean they are supernatural phenomena. The story doesn't really spook me anyway. The Mothman does not exist, and that's all there is to it." Schartiger said as a few eavesdropping students beside us exchanged skeptical glances.

Did someone say Tourism? In a town such as Point Pleasant, with its narrow streets and old buildings that have no doubt been there since the beginning of time, it's very odd to think that this place could attract hundreds of people each year with any kind of story. But it does, and it does it well. Instead of vending out hotdogs or corndogs to by standards at the yearly festival, Mothman plush dolls and posters are sold to little kids excited to get their picture taken by the gigantic stainless steel sculpture of the demon monster from the hellish death realm. The statue was made by local sculptor Robert Roach.

This year's Mothman Festival was held between September 19th and 20th in downtown Point Pleasant. Events at the festival included testimonials from Mothman eyewitnesses such as Linda Scarberry and Tom Ury among other guest speakers, Mothman pancakes, power lifting contests, the Ghostbusters, a rock climbing wall, and live music! The next Mothman festival is already scheduled for September 18th and 19th in 2010. The festival is only a yearly attraction for those that come to get a taste of the town and it's legend. Jeff Wamsley's museum is open year round for anyone looking to purchase a Mothman plush doll. Could this have been prophesized as well? The Museum is open every day from noon till five. Admission for ages nine and under is only a dollar, and for ages ten and up its three dollars. The museum is run by Jeff Wamsley and is conveniently located at 411 Main Street, downtown Point Pleasant. Here you can buy all your Mothman desires, from coffee cups to Mothman University T-shirts.

But if you really want to experience the extent of the tourism and excitement in the town, the tours are the only way to go. Tours cover the TNT area and a visit to the North Power Plant. During the tour the guide will point out the areas of the Mothman encounters. Cameras are welcome as well! Tour prices are $19.95 ages twelve and up and $14.95 for kids under eleven. Tours depart from the Mothman Museum, including a special Halloween tour on October 31st at 8 PM and 10 PM. You can call for Mothman Tour Bus information at (304) 812-5211.

Current Allegany College of Maryland Senior Marcus Kendal had the opportunity to go on the tour. Mr. Kendal grew up in Frostburg, Maryland, and attended Beall High School all four years. He currently studies Philosophy at Allegany College and is quick to point out that paranormal phenomena are a favorite hobby of his. Mr. Kendal agreed to meet up at Frostburg's McDonalds because he had not eaten lunch yet. This way we could "kill two birds with one stone," Kendal said in amusement.

"I didn't much like the tour just because I was expecting to see the Mothman jump out of the bushes to frighten us. I guess it was as good as it could be if you weren't expecting to actually witness something crazy happen. I went last year with a few buddies that are into that kind of stuff too. We all enjoyed the trip, but I guess you kinda get caught up in the movie and stories and just expect to see more when you're there," said Marcus as he gulfed down a specially ordered double cheeseburger with Big Mac sauce.

A friend had joined the table at this time and quickly jumped in the conversation. Luckily he actually had some things to say about the story of the Mothman as well. Tyler Miller is a friend of Kendal's. He noted that he did not do the tour with Mr. Kendal, but he has seen the movie and has read about the bizarre stories in Point Pleasant. "I completely believe that something strange happened in Point Pleasant at that time, UFO's and all. I heard a theory once about that town being a window to the supernatural." Miller spoke quietly as if people may have been listening on the conversation. "There obviously isn't any proof of any of the freaky shit that happened, but when that many people claim to see something that weird…it can't be a hoax."

But has the tourism been bothering people of Point Pleasant? Or is it welcomed? Mr. Wamsley seems to think the latter. "People have always been visiting Point Pleasant ever since the Mothman was first reported…now that we have the museum and festival it has become somewhat of a destination for tourists…most people here in Point Pleasant are used to all of the attention by now. Some believe in the sightings and as always some do not."

Regardless of what people believe, the events that occurred in Point Pleasant have been strongly speculated as hysteria. Skeptics such as paranormal investigator Joe Nickell looked into the stories and concluded that it was only a common barn owl that was witnessed numerous times. Whatever the Mothman was, it terrified the townspeople for almost a year and suddenly left.

Mr. Wamsley was asked what his personal take on the story was. He simply replied, "I have no real explanations to what this thing was, but I can tell you that these people saw something that really shook them up…over 100 reported sightings in a thirteen month time frame…all the descriptions matched…no doubt they saw something they had never seen before."

NOTE: 'The Mothman' is truly a great American cryptid, though sightings have been reported worldwide. In fact, I had an encounter with a similar creature in 1988 - Screams on the Conewago. Here is a link for further information on this phenomena Mothman Lives...Lon

Alien Close Encounter - Monahans, Texas - 12/11/09

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 08:55 AM PST

The following report was posted within the hour (11:00 am EST):

MUFON witness report (unedited): We were having a family/friends get together to celebrate a birthday. During the celebration two of my nephews and a niece came tearing into the house, screaming at the top of their lungs, saying that a plane crashed in one of the adjacent pastures. My brother, myself and about 3 others walked outside to see what was causing all the ruckus.

We didn't see anything out of the ordinary except a strange burning smell that smelled like burning mesquite. we didn't think anything of it since it was kind of nippy and someone could have been burning some wood in their fireplaces. We told them to show us where they saw the plane go down and we walked over to the place they showed us.

The first thing we noticed was that all the dogs in the area were going bonkers. They were barking up a storm, like they were all seeing the same thing.

The area we live in is pretty much a rural community, unless you live in the city of Monahans, TX many of the houses are set on large plots of land, usually 4-5 acres per house. Although we can see the houses of many of our neighbors and we do have traffic on the road, you do get the feeling of being all to yourself out here. Some of the land by our house is over run by wild mesquite tree's. only a small portion of the land surrounding the house is cultivated and cleared out. Beyond the stand of trees runs a small barbed wire fence that separates us from our neighbors, who I could see were home from the lights on in the house.

We walked around the edge of the trees, not wanting to really go into the stand at night. Even though its technically winter, there could be rattlesnakes seeking shelter in amongst the tree's, not to mention that mesquite trees have some wicked thorns that protrude from them, they are razor sharp and quite capable of punching through a pair of jeans or boots and they hurt like hell to get out.

As we looked around, we started noticing a sort of electrical charge to the very air around us. Almost like the kind you feel when you approach a large electrical substation or a charged and active radio antenna.

As we made our way around the trees, one of my brothers noticed some light peeking through the trees, I told him it was probably one of the neighbors leaving or coming home. He promptly told me that it couldn't be head lights because the light seemed too defused and not as concentrated as a car's headlight.

We moved around and as we cleared the stand of trees, we were shocked to see an oval shaped object hovering, maybe 4-5 feet off the ground. We stood there in total shock, and awe. I can only imagine that our jaws were probably on the ground. As we stood there watching this object hover there without a sound, I took note that the object was maybe about 30-40 feet from front to back, it was maybe the same dimensions around. The object seemed to be of a highly polished material that reflected the area around it. The reflection of the distant street lights from the surrounding neighbors properties seemed to reflect off the surface of the object. There was also a small dull glow to the object, barely noticeable unless you were really looking, almost like an aura of sorts, a iridescent blue of sorts.

As we stood there in total shock, My brother next to me expressing his disbelief, we saw two strange looking "Men" appear from around the object. They at first didn't notice us, they were busy running around and gathering objects from the ground, from the trees. They didn't seem to notice us at first. They looked to be about the size of my oldest nephew, about 4 feet tall, but they looked very skinny, like they had no meat on their bones. Their heads were large and their arms were long, skinny and hung down around their knee's. About this time my two nephews came walking up behind us (scaring the hell out of us). They saw the object and the strange "men" and in a voice that only a kid can project, screamed out loud "WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS!".

That's when the creatures turned and noticed us. The sight of these creatures was something that will haunt me till the day I die. It turned and looked right at us. It's eyes were large, almost like the eyes of a praying mantis, except they were jet back and wrapped around its head. the two creatures looked at us for about 7 seconds, not an ounce of movement, before they calmly walked around the craft, one right after the other. they disappeared behind the craft and we never saw them again.

A few seconds later the craft lifts up, not a sound coming from the object, no rush of wind, not even a swaying of the nearby branches of a mesquite tree. It rose quietly and hovered about 40 feet from the ground, and shot out like a bat out of hell. As it zoomed away, it started glowing and made it easier to track as it zoomed away getting higher and higher till it faded away.

We stood there in complete silence as we tried to make heads or tails of what the hell we just saw. My brother finally piped up and said "Should we call the police?" After which, I burst out in laughter and replied to him " And tell them what?" My nephew looked like he had just seen the devil himself, which considering what we just saw I don't blame him.

He didn't want to talk about it, and after we made our way back to the house, he still didn't talk about. I tried to ask him about it yesterday and he basically told me that he didn't want to think about it yet, he was still processing what had happened to him. I was more than happy to leave it at that.

I never really believed in the subject of UFO's or Alien's, but after the events of this night, I'm seriously going to re-evaluate that belief.

I know that I plan to keep my mind open, and start looking up towards the sky a little bit more from now on.

Thank you

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