DIARY OF A GHOST HUNTER

Every since I first laid eyes on Jenolan Caves guest house as a much younger person I have always wanted to stay overnight. I have imagined the grandeur of the wealthy coming down the winding road to this hide away - safe from the rest of the world and being treated to a 'European style' getaway right here in Australia taking in the fresh mountain air and meandering quietly through the caves. In 1896, the grand hotel, Jenolan Caves House, was built, as a wilderness retreat for the wealthy 1 . It was designed in the Colonial Architect’s office, under the supervision of Colonel Walter Liberty Vernon (1846 – 1914). It is characterized by craggy façade, picturesque gables, knobbly tile roof and deep recessed openings with multi-paned windows, giving the new building an instant air of old-age, charm and respectability Caves House sits alongside Jenolan Caves, Australia’s most well-known limestone cave system and longest continually operating tourist attraction. Caves

We have all watched the movie, "Men in Black" but did you know it is based on a real phenomenon? And...not only are there men in black there are also women in black too! These men have been reported to appear after UFO sightings ( just like in the movie) and threaten those first hand witnesses. They appear at their homes and knock on their front doors, driving cars that seem in come cases to float slightly above the ground, and apparently seem to have some type of hypnotic effect on people. Men in Black are usually male, but women have been reported too, and are normally dressed in black wearing trench coats or black suits and sunglasses even in the middle of the night. They can be very pale skinned and always slightly bizarre looking. This next bit of info from "Mysterious Universe" https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2017/12/bizarre-cases-of-the-men-in-black-caught-on-film/ Perhaps the earliest and best known purported image of a Man in Black comes from 1

There have been a number of articles lately about alleged 'close encounters' with ghosts. Very close encounters. Well, one woman actually, a 27-year-old “spiritual guidance counselor” named Amethyst Realm. (For real?) Realm claims to have done the dirty with at least 20 ghosts. She prefers them to men. Realm appeared on the British TV show “ITV This Morning” to talk all about the many (dead) men in her life. “It started as an energy, then became physical,” she told hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. “There was pressure on my thighs and breath on my neck. I just always felt safe. I had sex with the ghost. You can feel it. It’s difficult to explain. There was a weight and a weightlessness, a physical breath and stroking, and the energy as well.”                      December 10 2017 This is not a new thing. We just haven't discovered this sort of an experience in this era but we may have run headlong into the option of such an experience with the h

Egyptians called the shadow khaibut.  TheY believed that the khaibut was one of seven souls that each person had.  The shadow was an integral art of the whole person. The Roman word for shadow was umbra , also meaning ‘the shade’ or the ghost of an individual who went to a place called the Land of Shades.  The land of Shades was believed to be underground or part of an Underworld and after the person died, their shadow went there. Again it was part of the person - not separate. In Greece, people were known to dedicate their shadows or give them over to a God. This was considered to be a marvelous sacrifice but at the same time fearsome. For instance, it was believed  that if a person went to the temple or sanctuary of Zeus Lycaeus, they would lose their shadows. For those who do not know, Lycaeus was believed to be the origin of Werewolves and from this particular story, maybe some of the lore concerning werewolves became born and still lives on today. In medieval

Last night we conducted our first ghost tour/investigation of Stroud. As usual with a new tour I was feeling very anxious. Would it go well? Would people like it? Did we have enough to keep everyone interested and engaged? I really had little idea of what was going to work for this tour as, although we do have a set format that we run to, it is only as good as it is when the group is vibrant and interested and the ghosts connect. Each night can be totally different. Well, it turns out, that I had nothing to worry about! We were overwhelmed and so were our participants. Our group ranged from total skeptics to believers to a lot of people who had had personal experiences but, almost no one had been on a ghost tour before. Stroud is a township about an hour's drive from Newcastle in NSW. It was a town settled in the 1820's just after the area was opened up to free settlement. It was specifically created by the Australian Agricultural Company (formed by rich pa

We live in an ever changing world. A world that embraces difference and challenge. A world that is open to discussing different views and beliefs and applauds those that go out to search for the truth. Well...no not really. Some things can still be taboo in many towns and cities and it's best not to engage in those discussions. And so, in many cases, is the topic of the after life and ghosts. So before you jump out there and buy your T shirts with your team logo, just have a think about your family and your community and where you live and whether you can handle what comes next. Because, not all people and not all places are embracing of your excitement and your views, and you will meet those that think you are insane, mad, off your meds, hallucinating or just plain stupid. Are you ready for that? Get ready to be ignored or ostracised by your friends, work colleagues and family. To receive abusive messages on line and to be asked stupid sarcastic questions.

Australia has its fair share of creatures that come out at night. Creatures that have tails and big gnawing teeth. That scamper around roof tops and into small crevices creating noises in the dark that may sound a little creepy but are easily explainable. In the late 1800's though, they would have been quite terrifying to new settlers in this new land. Things running along corrugated iron roofs, pushing their way into homes with dirt floors eating food that was left open on table tops and in cupboards. No refrigerators back then. If you didn't eat it straight away the likelihood of it lasting after a hot night was not that great. So everything was rather frightening for the early 'new Australians'. Many stories can be found in newspapers about ghosts. It was even popular in the 1920's and 1930's to become a ghost and frighten the locals when no real activity was occurring! A few local lads nearly lost their lives to gun shot wounds by townsfolk t

Mirrors. Legends. Ghostly portals. What is all of that about and where did the connection about mirrors and demonic entities come from? Ever since human beings became aware of their own image, there has been fascination and fear of reflective surfaces. Originally any reflective surface seemed to be something to be in awe of.  Folklore and legend have many stories relating to magic and haunted mirrors. Most of these tend to be warnings about the dangers of mirrors having negative, supernatural qualities. Chunks of obsidian were used by those who could afford it. Mirrors were seen to just not only be a reflection of the self - but of the soul and by looking into the mirror and seeing what may be behind you you may see your shadow side or the negative side of yourself. Mirrors are believed by many to be portals to the spirit realm and even other dimensions. It was and still is in many countries a very important task to take down or cover all mirrors in homes where som