Sunday, November 30, 2008

KeepsakeKatie At Etsy

Lucid Dreaming

Wikipedia discusses Lucid Dreaming:
"A lucid dream is a dream in which the person is aware that they are dreaming while the dream is in progress, also known as a conscious dream. When the dreamer is lucid, they can actively participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can be extremely real and vivid depending on a person's level of self-awareness during the lucid dream.[1]

A lucid dream can begin in one of two ways. A dream-initiated lucid dream (DILD) starts as a normal dream, and the dreamer eventually concludes that they are dreaming, while a wake-initiated lucid dream (WILD) occurs when the dreamer goes from a normal waking state directly into a dream state with no apparent lapse in consciousness. Lucid dreaming has been researched scientifically, and its existence is well established.[2][3] Scientists such as Allan Hobson, with his neurophysiological approach to dream research, have helped to push the understanding of lucid dreaming into a less speculative realm.

An early recorded lucid dreamer was the philosopher and physician Sir Thomas Browne (1605–1682). Browne was fascinated by the world of dreams and stated of his own ability to lucid dream in his Religio Medici: "... yet in one dream I can compose a whole Comedy, behold the action, apprehend the jests and laugh my self awake at the conceits thereof;"[20]Marquis d'Hervey de Saint-Denys was probably the first person to argue that it is possible for anyone to learn to dream consciously. In 1867, he published his book Les Reves et les Moyens de Les Diriger; Observations Pratiques (Dreams and How to Guide them; Practical Observations), in which he documented more than twenty years of his own research into dreams."(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream)

The term lucid dreaming was coined by Dutch author and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in 1913.
The anthropologic studies in 1968 by Carlos Castaneda, for what later became the new age novel, The Teachings of Don Juan, reveals that ancient mexican natives knew and encouraged lucid dreaming.

Another source states"OBE enthusiasts promote lucid dreaming as a "stepping stone" to the OBE. Conversely, many lucid dreamers have had the experience of feeling themselves "leave the body" at the onset of a lucid dream. From a laboratory study, we have concluded that OBEs can occur in the same physiological state as lucid dreams. Wake-initiated lucid dreams (WILDs) were three times more likely to be labeled "OBEs" than dream initiated lucid dreams. If you believe yourself to have been awake, then you are more likely to take the experience at face value and believe yourself to have literally left your physical body in some sort of mental or "astral" body floating around in the "real" physical world. If, on the other hand, you think of the experience as a dream, then you are likely to identify the OBE body as a dream body image and the environment of the experience as a dream world. The validity of the latter interpretation is supported by observations and research on these
http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html#LD

One of the Etsy Artists shares her experience:
keepsakekatie
keepsakekatie says:
I get severe sleep paralysis, to the point where before I had a sleeping partner I had to set my alarm to go off every hour, to rouse me from sleep.

It's a horrible, frightening condition. Because you are not thinking clearly when you first wake up, sometimes I think I've been in an accident. I also suffer from negative lucid dreaming, which is a condtion where you can control your dreams, but in your dream state, negative thoughts over power your positive nes. This turns dreams into nightmares, and because of the constant state of paralysis, I often cannot rouse myself from the dreams, despite learning a number of techniques, including spinning and dreamweaving.

I have gained more control over the lucid dreaming recently, but the sleep paralysis still haunts me.

There are things that help you get out of it. Your brain is stimulated by patterns and touch, so if you concertrate on the feeling of the mattress under you, that is often enough to bring you out of it. Once, I was under paralysis for over an hour. I thought I was dead. I was also horribly late for work and ot the sack because of my 'crap' excuse.

I would warn ANYONE trying to encourage lucid dreaming that this is very serious and dangerous side effect of trying to control your conscience when you are alseep. My troubles started after I used a book called 'Lucid Dreaming - How to Control Your Dreams'

A wise word og caution.Thank you.Some of her work is in the video but you may like to see more at her shop:
http://keepsakekatie.etsy.com

Friday, November 28, 2008

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Then and Now Soapmaking

Nothing Paranormal Today

Happy Thanksgiving


There is so much to be thankful for this and every other year.As I wait for my oldest grandson to pick me up for a dinner with the family after he gets off work at Starbucks,I remember the Thanksgivings of my youth.Grandma cooking for two days on the wood stove.Grandpa chopping the wood and catching the turkey for the feast.Getting the canned vegetables from the smoke house and all the family coming.I am so thankful for my grandparents and growing up with them in the country.No electricity ot running water was not a pressing matter there.Working to raise the food and meat was.It helped me to be a stronger person.I do regret that I am not as involved in the day to day life of my grandchildren as they were in mine,though.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Work From The Etsy Shops

Adapting To Sleep Paralysis

In our recent discussion of Sleep Paralysis in an Etsy Forum,some of the people experiencing the terror of it have found a few ways to adapt to the occurrences.Read the accounts and notice the things that sometimes work.As you may recall amber also mentioned this in her account published in the previous post.It may be helpful to those who go through this..Some samples of their work is included in the video.A link to the shop follows their story.

missknits said...

I used to have this happen a lot as a kid/teen, but only a couple of times since adult. its incredibly frightening. i remember trying to tell my parents, and they thought i was being foolish, til i read about it online somewhere and knew what it was. it still freaks me out, until i realize whats going on and force myself to try and sleep and then i'll come out of it. freaky!
http://missknits.etsy.com


yellowcanoe
yellowcanoe says:
Here's my post from before.... my blog post from it...going back a little over 2 years: http://operation-paper-cut.blogspot.com/2006/08/flickr.html

http://yellowcanoe.etsy.com


smittenkittenorig says:
I've had it at times! Feels like it's so real in the moment & worse still, I couldn't move or scream. At first I thought it was like a night terror thing (so glad it wasn't) but in the moment that hardly matters. I've not had it happen in a quite a while but I've also been on anti-anxiety medication, so that may be why.

In the meantime, chamomile tea & either lavender or chamomile scents worked for one of my friends. Drink the tea before going to sleep and use a bit of either essential oil on your sleep mask (should you have one). ;)
http://smittenkittenorig.etsy.com

TripleWillowGifts says:
I have had it a few times and it's breath taking scary and it left me fatiqued too.

How about breaking the cycle by taking a light dose muscle relaxer? Either natural or prescribed?

My indian teachings tell me though that you need prayers. Consider them on the way with your name in them Snow
http://TripleWillowGifts.etsy.com

FeetingFrenzy says:
i used to experience sleep paralysis all the time as a teenager. it frightened me every single time it happened. i never felt like there were people around me, never felt the heavy chest thing either. i would just wake up and not be able to move. at first i would try to fight it and try to force myself to move. but after the first few times i learned the best way to deal with it was to relax as much as possible and let myself fall back to sleep.

it doesn't happen to me anymore. thank god!!
http://FeetingFrenzy.etsy.com



Solanah says:
Oh gosh I havent had it in a while, but it is terrifying. Pretty much the only thing you have control of is your thoughts and your breathing. You really dont want to go back to sleep, it feels like you'll fall into some horrible world and never escape, so you have to really fight it by trying to stay calm and gathering up energy and then trying to simply move.
http://solanah.etsy.com

ScotiaMade
ScotiaMade says:
It's happneed to me for years. I am now aware when it is happening that I am dreaming and I work to get awake to escape the situation.

This was, of course, a bit of a surprise for the BF the first time it happened, as my method of getting awake is to alert those in the waking world to my situation via a loud noise that is now known in our house as "the wibble"

It sounds a bit like the noise you woudl expect a muppet to make were you to spin it around the room by its feet until it passed out.

That is not what it sounds like in my dream,m but there you have it.
http://ScotiaMade.etsy.com

Monday, November 24, 2008

Two Etsy Artists

Two Artists' Experience with Sleep Paralysis


Two talented Etsy Artists were kind enough to share their experiences .Their work is in the video but you would probably like to see more at their shops on Etsy.
About herself,quietkatie says in her profile;"I like things that are beautiful. I like the way light shines through orange leaves in October. I like the smell of apples. I like watching birds. I like the feeling of a warm cat sleeping in my lap. I like the sound of a baby's laugh. I like the poetry of A.A Milne. I like soft, faded fabrics.

I am especially inspired by walks in the woods, Edwardian children's books, English gardens, French country decor and Beatrix Potter. I've been trying lots of new crafting techniques lately, so keep an eye on the shop for some new additions!"
http://quietkatie.etsy.com


NoctisAeterna's Profile
"Hello, all! My name is Amber, nice to meet you. I'm a 24-year-old college graduate with her Associate's Degree in Art and Animation, and I'm here to (hopefully) put one of those majors to good use ;)

I'm quite enthusiastic about art, and my styles run an eclectic gamut, from digital photography to painting to colored pencil, and so many things in between. Once I really get going here, I hope to have a respectable selection for everyone out there to choose from! The more money I can make, the more materials I can invest in, and the more art I can provide to the good people at Etsy!"
http://NoctisAeterna.etsy.com

Here is quietkatie/s story in her own words:
"I've woken up feeling like someone was sitting on my chest, I don't know if that is sleep paralysis or not. I couldn't move, though, and couldn't really breathe. Then I'd fall back into sleep. It doesn't happen very often. I heard a psychic say once that the "someone sitting on your chest" feeling is caused by your soul, which leaves your body when you sleep, climbing back in and you happen to wake up before it's all the way in. That freaked me out, lol."

Here is Amber.s story in her own words:
"I experience it quite frequently - at least once every couple of months. It used to be downright terrifying, but it's gotten to the point where I can recognize what's happening and can do something about it.

My experiences don't usually have anything to do with pressure on my chest or anything like that - I usually see "shadow people" standing around me, or rising up out of the floor, and sometimes feel someone or something jabbing me in the ribs. Occasionally, I hear voices, too, and a couple of times I've had vivid hallucinations of certain body parts moving in ways that they shouldn't - once, it was my arms, and it felt like they were twining around each other like snakes; the other time, it was the sensation that my jaw was seizing uncontrollably.

I can usually snap out of it, though, by focusing on moving, even just a little bit."

Thank you so much for your stories.Such frightening experiences.It is encouraging that NoctisAetema has developed a way to deal with it.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Astral Catalepsy Or Sleep Paralysis?


In the mid 1930's a man named Sylvan Muldoon first used the term Astral catalepsy.He had been doing astral projection since age 12.In research and study of his own experiences he was able to recall very specific aspects of the out of body experiences.His work was quite helpful for the many people who were enduring this horrible experience now generally called "sleep paralysis."It is common in children but many adults also experience it

Symptoms typically include:
A sensation of being paralyzed
A heavy weight on the chest making breathing difficult
Being unable to cry out or even make a sound
Being touched in a sexual or malicious way by an invisible source
A vibration from within the body or surrounding it
Being pinned down or immobilized by an evil presence
Flashes of or glaring lights
Being bombarded by noises from buzzing,electronic humming,to clamoring voices of many people talking at once
Sincerely believing a vicious entity is sitting on or messing with the bedding intentionally



You can see this is a very unplesant experience.However it is more common than you might think.
Wikipedia gives a physiological run down on the REM stage of sleep which this involves.
It still remains unclear why some have and others do not have this condition.

In many cultures throughout History this has been discussed in folklore.Northern Europeans considered it was caused by abduction of unsuspecting sleepers by witches who took them for long broomstick rides to a distant place.The Japanese thought a gigantic devil would sneak into the bedroom at night and pin the person to the bed with his foot..Newfoundland came up with the legend of The Old Hag who would sit on the chest of the sleeper and wrap her gnarled claw like hands around their neck in attempts to choke them.China envisioned a ghost sitting on the person and assulting them,Interestingly, west Indians considered it yo be a baby ghost jumping up and down on sleeping people's chest.Some Alien abduction reports are also considered to be this sleep paralysis or astral catalepsy occurring.

Some people including some parapsychology researchers do not believe that this actually happens.Others believe that as the spirit attempts to re enter the body something interferes and the body gets the signal that it is dying.Until the two are successfully reunited the symptoms remain.

Wikipedia says"The paralysis can last from several seconds to several minutes "after which the individual may experience panic symptoms and the realization that the distorted perceptions were false".[7] When there is an absence of narcolepsy, sleep paralysis is referred to as isolated sleep paralysis (ISP).[8] "ISP appears to be far more common and recurrent among African Americans than among White Americans or Nigerian Blacks",[9] and is often referred to within African American communities as "the witch riding your back"[10]"
Sources Wikipedia.sleep Paralysis
http://soulsreflection.com/astralcatalepsy.htm

You Tube Sylvia Browne on The Montel Williams Show (Astral Catalepsy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtRZTsuUaTc

Friday, November 21, 2008

Ramona At Etsy

Ramona's Flying Thread


Some time ago I told you of my friend Roberta who could open and close her heavy closet door by concentrating on it.You have also heard of the chaos in a home a poltergeist presence can evoke.Ramona's story is sort of between these two types of occurrences.Equally interesting.
She has a shop on Etsy.Some of her creations are included in the video but you will probably want to see more.
http://Ramona.etsy.com

She tells about herself in her profile:
"After retiring from a job at an automotive assembly plant I finally found time for my artistic and creative side.

I dusted myself off and then took a class in Stained Glass something I had always wanted to learn. I soon figured out how to take the process and make soldered jewelry. I now have a line I call Soldered Treasures that I am very proud of.

These days I fill my days between my soldering iron and my sewing machine my first love.

Until the grandkids come my dog Sydney and my cat Gracie keep me company and fill my days, oh and lurking in on the forums.

I belong to the Cleveland handmade Team and love chatting with these wonderful women."

Here is her experience in her own words.
"I was starting to sew a project one time and couldn't find the thread I needed anywhere and I had just had it. I gave up and turned on the TV I figured oh well might as well just relax. As I sat down the thread I was looking for cam flying across the room and hit me on the head literally.

It looked as if I had left it on my dresser that I had in the living room at the time. I saw it coming right at me and still didn't move, I couldn't believe my eyes.

After the freak out I turned off the TV and made my project, thought it was a sign.


Thank You for your story,Ramona...

Monday, November 17, 2008

MoonFlowerHerbs & The Candle



From a very interesting thread on Etsy.MoonFlowerHerbs shared her experience with a new candle she was making.It is not pictured.She said,"I should have pictured it at Halloween.LOL"
Those of you who have not discovered her lovely shop will see some of her work in the video posted here, but will probably want to check out more at
http://MoonFlowerHerbs.etsy.com

The pictures with this posting are from the two others who responded about her post.
http://spongetta.etsy.com
http://LonesomeRoadStudio.etsy.com

Both worthy of checking out as well...

Here is the story in her own words:
"I made some blue candles once, and after a while, the colors started separating. The red came out and now they look like they're bleeding....
nursesnaturally says:
' where did the red come from: Did you mix the colors yourself?;
------------------------
Yes, I used new liquid colors, with a new wax..neither of which I had used before. I should have listed them on halloween. lol"

Her story drew a few comments
spongetta
spongetta says:
The bleeding candles sound fascinating! Is that something you could ever replicate?
LonesomeRoadStudio
LonesomeRoadStudio says:
nothing creepy here, but I'm loving the bleeding candle story!

Cool story.Thanks MoonFlowerHerbs

MoonFlowerHerbs At Etsy

No Bleeding Candle Pictured

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Aliens And God



If it should happen to be true, as some people believe ,that human life on this planet came from Aliens,would that destroy Religion?
When the idea first surfaced in the mid 1950's it was considered outrageous.Since then it has evolved to include many believers.From what I have read, it is considered a threat to organized religion ;specifically the belief in God
.Evolution itself is considered in this manner, as well,by some groups.

Humans have always had a form of Religion.Who created the Aliens if the Aliens created us?Personally, I do not consider either Evolution or Alien Origin to be a threat to belief in God.The human body is such a complex interwoven arrangement of truly miracleous parts and function.The trees,plants,animals,seas and weather is so carefully and intricately intertwined it seems to me simply indications of God's incredible thoughtfulness and provisions for us.
What about you? A Threat or a Lesson?

Friday, November 14, 2008

DancingGirlArt Has An Experience


In talking about strange things happening when working DancingGirlArt had an interesting experience.She has two shops on Etsy as well as her own website and blog.You can find this information and more of her outstanding work (in addition to that in the video) at this shop:
http://DancingGirlArt.etsy.com

Here is her story in her own words:

I was in the city and searching for a post box to mail my severance letter to my (now) former employer. Found one, mailed the letter - bye-bye day job - and, whilst thinking 'omg what have I done', wandered round the corner and into an interesting looking art gallery and gift shop.

I asked if they were interested in taking new work, they said yes but it's juried and gave me an application form. I gave them a business card and left.

When I got home, waiting for me in my inbox was an email saying never mind the application we'd like to represent you. Apparently they'd visited my etsy shop and liked what they saw!

Sorry for the long tale, but it really reconfirmed my belief in the universe providing! :)

Indeed she has had many accomplishments.She says"I've been creating things for as long as I can remember. I think I first really got the art bug when my reception-class painting of a mermaid sunning herself on a rock in the ocean got put up in the school corridor for all to see. I was five and that was it for me!

I am pretty much completely self-taught. Nine less than useful months at art school as a teenager ensured I quit drawing and painting for the next thirty years and only took it up again quite recently. In the interim I became a potter, jewelery designer and maker, dressmaker and quilter. Just couldn't stop fiddling with things!
My work can be found in private collections in the UK, Ireland, Europe, USA and Canada. It has been exhibited in the UK and the US."

Great accomplishments.The recognition is well deserved.Thank you for your inspiring story..

Work of DancingGirlArt at Etsy

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Scrap Addict Finds It!

ScrapAddict's Experience

There are a variety of talented and addicted Artists on Etsy.One is the self proclaimed Scrapbooking Artist ,scrapaddict.She started at a vert early age and says"I never stopped."
Living on a dairy farm and having three children allows little free time.i do not see how she has time to create so many lovely things for the shop.Some are in the Animoto video posted but there are many other in her shop:
http://scrapaddict.etsy.com

She posted an interesting response in a forum the other day.Here is her story in her own words and a few responses to it from that discussion:

scrapaddict says:
"FOR 2 DAYS I've been searching all over for my adhesive that I NEED to create. Cannot find it anywhere! So, I call my sister in law to chat and I mention it to her, and she asks "did you say the prayer to ST. Anthony?" No. She says it and while we are on the phone I find the adhesive!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow!"

Great experience.Others thought so also.
3littleprincesstutus says:
"Scrap...A prayer to St. Anthony has ALWAYS worked for me...and with 3 small girls I lose a lot of stuff!"

LoveLaurie says
"...I am not a particularly religious person. The prayer to St. Anthony is something my mom and aunts always did when I was a child. It is really strange, but EVERY time I do it I find what was missing within minutes. My daughter does it now and it always works for her too."

wiseoldowl says:
"I'm also not religious. who is this st. anthony fellow? i too am missing my glue!"

BlueBoxStudio says:
"So what's the prayer to St Anthony? My DH is forever losing things. Does he just mention his name.

As they say "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most"!"

Love those forums.The video below shows a bit of the work from the responding folks. You can find more at their shop

http://3littleprincesstutus.eisy.com

http://LoveLaurie.etsy.com
http://wiseoldowl.etsy.com

http://BlueBoxStudio.etsy.com

Thanks,Guys.

Etsy Responses To Scrap

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Anoher Look At Spontaneous Human Combustion


It is a strange and frightening mystery that with all the technological advances there not only is no cure for the Common Cold or a definite known cause of SHC..
One of the most popular proposes that the fire is sparked when methane (a flammable gas produced when plants decompose) builds up in the intestines and is ignited by enzymes (proteins in the body that act as catalysts to induce and speed up chemical reactions).
Yet most victims of spontaneous human combustion suffer greater damage to the outside of their body than to their internal organs, which seems to go against this theory.

Other theories speculate that the fire begins as a result of a buildup of static electricity inside the body or from an external geomagnetic force exerted on the body. A self-proclaimed expert on spontaneous human combustion, Larry Arnold, has suggested that the phenomenon is the work of a new subatomic particle called a pyroton, which he says interacts with cells to create a mini-explosion. But no scientific evidence proves the existence of this particle.

In 1938, a 22-year-old woman named Phyllis Newcombe was leaving a dance at the Shire Hall in Chelmsford, England. As she descended the staircase of the hall, her dress suddenly caught fire with no apparent cause. She ran back into the ballroom, where she collapsed. Several people rushed to her aid, but she later died in the hospital. Although the theory was that Newcombe's dress had been ignited by a cigarette or a lit match thrown from the stairwell, no evidence of either was ever found. Coroner L.F. Beccles commented on the incident, "From all my experience I have never come across a case so very mysterious as this."

In 1951, a 67-year-old widow named Mary Reeser was at home in St. Petersburg, Florida. On the morning of July 2, a neighbor discovered that Mary's front door was hot. When she broke into the apartment with the help of two workmen, they found Mary in an easy chair with a black circle around her. Her head had been burned down to the size of a teacup. The only other parts of her that remained were part of her backbone and part of her left foot. Other than Mary's charred remains, there was very little evidence of fire in her apartment. A forensic pathologist, Dr. Wilton Krogman, said of the incident, "[It's] the most amazing thing I have ever seen. As I review it, the short hairs on my neck bristle with vague fear. Were I living in the Middle Ages I'd mutter something about black magic." But the police report cited a far less supernatural explanation for the cause of death: a dropped cigarette, which ignited Mrs. Reeser's highly flammable rayon-acetate nightgown.
(Dr.Krogman wa the father of one of my Emory University classmates way back when.)


In 1982, a mentally handicapped woman named Jean Lucille "Jeannie" Saffin was sitting with her 82-year-old father at their home in Edmonton, in northern London. According to her father, a flash of light caught his eye. When he turned to his daughter, he saw that her upper body was enveloped in flames. Mr. Saffin and his son-in-law, Donald Carroll, managed to put out the blaze, but Jeannie died of her third-degree burns about a week after entering the hospital. According to Carroll, "the flames were coming from her mouth like a dragon and they were making a roaring noise." There was no smoke or fire damage in the room. Some have wondered if an ember from her father's pipe ignited Jeannie's clothing.
http://anomalyinfo.com/shc/
http://skepdic.com/shc.html "A more economical and reasonable theory of how human bodies burn in rooms without having the entire room engulfed in flames is the idea of the wick effect. The ignition point of human fat is low and to get the fire going would require an external source. Once ignited, however, a "wick effect" from the body's fat would burn hot enough in certain places to destroy even bones. To prove that a human being might burn like a candle, Dr. John de Haan of the California Criminalistic Institute wrapped a dead pig in a blanket, poured a small amount of gasoline on the blanket, and ignited it. Even the bones were destroyed after five hours of continuous burning. The fat content of a pig is very similar to the fat content of a human being. The damage to the pig, according to Dr. De Haan "is exactly the same as that from supposed spontaneous human combustion." A National Geographic special on SHC showed a failed attempt to duplicate the burning pig experiment." However, it is noted this burning takes far longer than the quick short duration of SHC.

The Mystery remains but don't sleep or leave home with your Christmas Tree plugged in.On second thought maybe not sitting beside it is a good idea....Just in case.Also a good idea mot to smoke.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Helping Hands Trio for Battered Hands

What Do You Think OF Spontaneous Human Combustion?


Have you wondered about or worried about the horror stories you have heard about Spontaneous Human Combustion(SHC_?)
Or have you never heard of it? Over the past 300 years, there have been more than 200 reports of persons burning to a crisp for no apparent reason.

The first known account of spontaneous human combustion came from the Danish anatomist Thomas Bartholin in 1663, who described how a woman in Paris "went up in ashes and smoke" while she was sleeping. The straw mattress on which she slept was unmarred by the fire. In 1673, a Frenchman named Jonas Dupont published a collection of spontaneous combustion cases in his work "De Incendiis Corporis Humani Spontaneis."

Not all spontaneous human combustion victims simply burst into flames. Some develop strange burns on their body which have no obvious source, or emanate smoke from their body when no fire is present.
And not every person who has caught fire has died -- a small percentage of people have actually survived what has been called their spontaneous combustion.

On April 9, 1744, Grace Pett, 60, an alcoholic residing in Ipswich England, was found on the floor by her daughter like "a log of wood consumed by a fire, without apparent flame." Nearby clothing was undamaged.

In December 1966, the body of 92-year-old Dr. J. Irving Bentley was discovered in his Pennsylvania home by a meter reader. Actually, only part of Dr. Bentley's leg and slippered foot were found. The rest of his body had been burned to ashes. A hole in the bathroom floor was the only evidence of the fire that had killed him; the rest of the house remained perfectly intact.

How could a man catch fire -- with no apparent source of a spark or flame -- and then burn so completely without igniting anything around him? Dr. Bentley's case and several hundred others like it have been labeled "spontaneous human combustion" (SHC). Although he and other victims of the phenomenon burned almost completely, their surroundings, and even sometimes their clothes, remained virtually untouched.

Some theories are presented about the causes, but no one really knows.

This source was used and will tell you more if interested,also Wikipedia.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/shc.htm

Sunday, November 2, 2008

George's Dream Nightmare or Precognitive?

George is a physist.We have been friends since days at UVA when we were neighbors.We spent many hours arguing about UFO's.He did not believe in any of "that mumbojumbo stuff" of the paranormal.Recently, near his birthday,he was terribly troubled by dreams happening almost every night for several weeks.He was haunted through his dreams by a man dressed in some costume wearing jewelry (he hates men's jewelry) and painted or with tattoo."He seems to know me and wants to tell me something but he says nothing.It is beginning to worry me.I am not sleeping at all.What is going on?"
I gave him the standard psych answer "Maybe you are worried about aging .your birthday is coming up."He blew that off as usual with a few choice words.
His birthday is on Halloween.A few days before,I heard from his wife.She was very excited.She was planning a surprise party.A costume party.She told him they were going to one and had his costume picked out.One of their friends was coming as an authentic Tribal warrier.Another had shavd his head and was using fake tattoos on his face and neck
Her birthday gift to George was "an appointment for an Exotic Piercing of his ear" which she had been encouraging him to have for two months.

Since his birthday he has had no more dreans...What do you think,nightmare or precognitive? Can you pick him from the animoto video?

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Theresa's Story


Halloween is over but the ghost sightings and stories do not stop there..I was disappointed in the Coast to Coast AM Show last night.While the content was interesting the guest apparently is a much better writer than speaker.So bad that I fell asleep.

Those of you who read the comments here yesterday were treated to an extra story posted by Theresa.It will keep you awake.So good that I am repeating it here as the feature today.Thank you so much for sharing it,Theresa,Her comments:

" Wow -- amazing story!

It actually reminded me of a story I haven't told or thought about in years. My aunt and uncle used to live right next to a cemetery. I remember playing there as a child when my parents visited. The house was on a street with a row of about 4 old stone-front houses with backyards with no fences, but with a few rows of corn separating the backyards from the cemetery. I remember always feeling it was a creepy place when I was a kid, yet I love cemeteries -- to this day -- as they are the most wonderful outdoor museums. Anyway, I remember family stories about the house being haunted. One story that comes to mind is the one of the fire in the kitchen.

They had swinging shutter doors that led to the kitchen. My aunt would always keep them latched to the wall - open. One night, while in bed, she heard the doors swinging, but knew she had latched them earlier. She got up and latched them again, checked around the house, and then went back to bed. A few minutes later, they were swinging again. She got up and again checked house, relatched the doors, and then went back to bed. A bit later, she heard the doors swinging again, but this time, when she got to the kitchen, the garbage had been moved to the center of the kitchen and was on fire.

How's that for creepy.

I have always wondered... was this a mischevious ghost, or was it perhaps trying to alert her to a hot ember in the garbage. My aunt and uncle both smoked, and if she had dumped an ashtray in the trash with a not quite put out cig but while cleaning up before going to bed, without the alert, it could have been disastrous."