Incubus and Succubus

Medieval legend claims that demons, both male and female, sexually prey on human beings. The male demon is known as an incubus and the female is the succubus. They generally prey upon the victim when they are sleeping, though it has been reporte
d that females have been attacked while fully lucid. One such event was covered in the book and subsequent movie, The Entity.
There are variations of this sexual demonic legend. In Zanzibar, what is known as the "Popo Bawa" generally preys on men and only in their own beds. In the Chilo‚ Province of Chile, a wretched little dwarf, known as El Trauco, woos young naive women and then seduces them. Ịn Hungary, a Liderc is a demonic sexual predator that flies under the cover of darkness and will appear as a wispy apparition or a fiery light.
Any one of the above succubus' can be blamed for unexpected or unwanted pregnancies, especially in unmarried women, though one can imagine this might be a convenient fabrication to get out of unsavory rumors!
Some confuse the incubus with the legendary "Old Hag" syndrome but it is not. The Old Hag episode is usually restricted to a feeling of great pressure on the chest and not a ghostly sexual encounter. Another difference between the incubus/succubus encounter from the Old Hag is that the former is not always unpleasant while the Old Hag is mostly accompanied by a feeling of death, suffocation and just trying to survive.
Because the incubus and succubus are generally experienced during the sleep state or coming in and out of it, experts feel that it is an imaginary experience and not a real one, however, telling this to the person who has just gone through it, they find that hard to believe as it feels as real as intercourse itself. Who can say for certain if these events are real or imagined but until you've experienced yourself it's hard to determine or judge.

Unsolved Mysteries

Probably one of the most famous, most widely renowned unsolved mysteries of all time is that of the Bermuda Triangle, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, where so many planes and boats have just literary disappeared, no wreckage, or parts or bodies ever being found? A mystery as big as this, remains unsolved to date, and yet planes and ship continue to disappear in the area.

An unsolved mystery in literal terms is a series of events that occurred, or, in the case of the Bermuda triangle, continues to occur, and one for which there is no feasible or scientific explanation. The city of Machhu Pichu lay undiscovered for centuries, famously known as the lost city of the Incas. But who actually built it, and in what date? The same as Stone Henge in the United Kingdom, who constructed such a stone circle, and with what equipment were stones of such a size moved to create the formation of a ring?.

Although there are many hoaxes, and even evidence to people who dedicate their life to hoaxing mysteries, we must ask ourselves, is this work of the supernatural, or who is behind such a set of circumstances.

The most famous crime related unsolved mystery of all time has to be that of Jack the Ripper, who stalked the streets in London, his reign of terror in 1888, ending as abruptly as it begun, but even with the finding of a body floating in the river Thames, no one knows, and never will, who actually was Jack the Ripper, what possessed an individual to rape, torture and mutilate so many young woman, and then, stop.

Another great mystery in history is that of the shroud of Turin, believed to be the death shroud for the body of Jesus Christ, though to date, even with extensive scientific research, and carbon dating techniques, no one is able to give a satisfactory explanation for the outlining of a body on the shroud. The shroud is currently at St john the Baptists church in Turin, and scientists continue to find an explanation..

The Mary Celeste was a ship that set sail from Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1860, later to be bought in a New York auction. Its new owner and family set sail, never to be seen again, though, the ship itself, with no markings or signs of struggle was later found floating in the straights of Gibraltar.

What forces are we working with here? Is the an upper body that we are unaware of that is in control of these events, events that will remain a mystery for ever, as scientists come up with theory upon theory, but never the necessary, essential proof needed to close any of the above such mysterious cases. As much as scientists would like to find a cold and calculated explanation for everything, and strongly disbelieve in supernatural powers at work, they find themselves unable to give explanation for many events. So, who, or what force are these events the work of?

Are UFO's real?

Sooner or later almost everyone sees a so-called UFO (unidentified flying object) in the sky and some people claim to have even seen them on the ground. But if you ask them what they think it was, most will say that it wasn’t an alien craft. Still there are a small percentage of witnesses that believe they have seen something not of this world. So whom to believe: the majority or a little group of potential lunatics? The answer may be both. As we see with most unexplained mysteries there are opinions for and against, but what one comes off top?

Let us examine which type of sightings occurs and how they can be explained. But first it is important to take a look at the person who witnessed a UFO. Many people tend to overreact when they see something they cannot explain. Emotions vary from elation to panic. Hence such witnesses have to be considered as potentially prejudiced and subjective and their statements tend to be exaggerated, inventive and abstruse. In order to come to useful conclusions we have to focus on rational and objective witness statements leaving aside obviously faked and invented reports.

There is a huge number of sightings that have a mundane explanation. Planet Venus is a very good example. There are times in the year when our planetary ’twin sister’ shines extremely bright in the evening/ morning sky. Especially when it is close to the horizon and when you are driving in your car you get the impression that the ‘object’ moves because it seems to pass trees, hills and houses as you drive along the road. Finally it will vanish behind some terrestrial object and you wonder where it has gone. The only way to find out if it is Venus is by either knowing it or by stopping the car and checking if the object is still moving. If it is stationary then it is most likely Venus (or another bright planet/ star). Other objects that are quite often mistaken for ET are satellites and among those so-called Iridium flares in particular. Such satellites reflect the sun light during a couple of seconds up to several minutes which is visible to the observer. As they move quite fast along the sky without making any sound, unlike airplanes or helicopters, they can easily be misinterpreted as UFOs. If you have seen such an object and wonder what is was note its approximate position and the time when you saw it and compare your data with online websites that provide information about the flight paths of most of the Earth orbiting satellites. If you have a match you can be almost certain that what you saw was a satellite.

There are many more objects that can be mistaken for UFOs, e.g. meteors, meteorites, northern lights, lenticular clouds, airplanes, ignited swamp gas, burning rockets etc. Thus the possibility of your UFO being an alien spaceship is very low. However, there is a certain amount of sightings that remains unexplained. In those cases it is important to find commonalities which include the shape and movement of the object. If those commonalities do not meet any criteria for a positive identification as a terrestrial object or a celestial body then you have possibly witnessed something out of this world. If you find no commonality to other unexplained mysteries it was probably a hallucination or a prank played on you with some new type of ‘flying saucer’ dummy.

Ghost caught on tape during radiation leak testing in old Japan WWII tunnels

An incredible ghost apparition was caught on tape during a visit to old WWII tunnels in the mountains of Japan. The camera started to go crazy and was malfunctioning at the lower level of the tunnels. Strange EVP's ( Electronic voice phenomenon ) were caught on tape during the filiming. If you listen very closely, you can hear a voice saying "closer" , a couple of times during the video. These tunnels are not open to the public . This week a small group of engineers were sent into these old WWII tunnels to test radiation levels. The tunnels are several miles away from the leaking reactors. The deepest part of the tunnel is approx 1500 ft into the ground and can be reached via several steps and wooden slides leading to the bottom. These tunnels were used for mining purposes before Japan used them for WWII purposes. Radiation levels in the tunnels were detected in very small amounts, not harmful to humans, but high enough to arouse spirits of soldiers from a distant past.

Doppelgängers – Fact or Fiction

Doppelgänger as a term refers to “double walker” which means a shadow of oneself that accompanies every person. As traditional lore point out, these doppelgängers are usually visible to the person himself and occasionally it may be visible to friends and family resulting in being present at two locations and causing confusion.

Although it may seem impossible for a person to be present in two places, yet the concept and theory of doppelgangers seem to betray this. There have been many instances in the history that claim to have sighted doppelgängers. Some of these have been of apparitions of one’s own self while others claim to have seen the similar person at two different locations. From what ever claims that have been reported, it seems that the doppelgänger is just like the real person and can interact in the similar fashion just as the real person.

There have been instances of doppelgängers been reported. Here is an account of the few famous ones:

Emilie Sagee: perhaps the most intriguing of the cases of doppelgangers has been that of Emilie Sagee. She was a teacher in a girl’s school in Latvia. Several instances of her double appearing in full view of the students had been reported. The doppelganger sometimes copied her movements, other times it appeared in two different locations. When two of the students tried to touch one of the phantoms, they faced some resistance and then the figure vanished. Emilie herself never witnessed her shadow but she felt tired and drained on those instances when others claimed to have seen her doppelganger.

The French short story writer and novelist, Guy de Maupassant also claimed to have seen his doppelganger and been haunted by it.

The 16th century English poet John Donne was visited by the doppelgängers of his wife.

Queen Elizabeth I of England had apparently seen her doppelgängers on the bed. This sighting shocked her to such an extent that she died shortly.

Percy Bysshe Shelley was visited by his doppelganger who pointed towards the Mediterranean Sea and shortly Shelly drowned in the Mediterranean Sea due to a sailing accident.

Sleep Paralysis

Regardless of whether one accepts the medical explanation, or the paranormal theory for this surprisingly common condition, there is no escaping the fact that it is a terrifying experience for the sufferer.

Sleep paralysis is closely related to the natural paralysis occurring in the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) state of sleep. The victim is fully conscious and alert, yet the body remains paralysed. In this state, the brain is capable of manifesting intensely vivid hallucinations, which the body cannot react to. The understandable reaction to this scenario is fear and panic. To the sufferer, the experience is terrifyingly real. All the natural senses of the individual remain fully functioning, i.e. smell, taste, touch, hearing, and sight are all present and only add to the horror.

During REM sleep the body’s metabolism is slowed down, the heart rate is lowered, as too is blood pressure and respiratory rate. Along with this comes muscle paralysis; all these adaptations are a safety mechanism to prevent injury during the dreaming state. Without this natural defence, the individual could thrash out with limbs and enact their dreams.

With a reduced heart beat and respiratory rate the victim will experience the feeling of pressure on the chest wall and a difficulty in breathing. In this natural state of fear and panic, the victim may well interpret this sensation as some kind of weight on his/her chest.

Some victims of this horrifying condition are able to convince themselves that the experience was no more than a dream – a nightmare at worst. Others remain convinced they have been attacked by a supernatural entity. The latter are adamant their assailant is an external reality and not a product of their subconscious. However, sleep specialists and psychologists dismiss this by explaining that thoughts, images, and sensations released from an individual’s subconscious are all ultimately alien to the individual. This area is a vast storeroom for random psychological phenomena, which the conscious brain either cannot, or will not analyse and accept as reality. Hence, the victim concludes that all the hallucinatory elements of a sleep paralysis attack are received from an external source.

Throughout the world and the passing of time, the above physiological aspects of sleep paralysis have been and remain the same, regardless of the victim’s race, religion, or culture. It is the almost countless interpretations of these symptoms, which make sleep paralysis one of, if not the most common and feared paranormal phenomena.

It is beyond the scope and capability of this article and its author to cover all the physiological and psychological aspects of sleep paralysis. Therefore, I have elected to turn my attention to offering the reader a brief overview of the many variations and interpretations of the occult aspects of this fascinating and terrifying phenomenon.

THE DARKER SIDE OF THE NIGHT

Frank De Felitta’s novel, ‘The Entity’ which was later made into a very successful horror movie was in fact based on the alleged true story of Carlotta Moran, a young Californian woman. Her terrifying ordeal from the 1970s is supported by psychiatric reports and physical evidence in the form of bruises to her body. Some researchers claim that Carlotta was attacked by a non-physical male entity known as an Incubus, (female counterpart, Succubus).

There are several excellent books and papers available on sleep paralysis. ‘Creatures from Inner Space’ (Stan Gooch) and ‘The Flying Cow’ (Guy Lyon Playfair), and ‘The Terror that comes in the Night’ (David J. Hufford) are just three examples.

SLEEP PARALYSIS IN FOLKLORE:

The following list is a brief summary of various perceptions of sleep paralysis in some cultures throughout the world:

African culture describes sleep paralysis as ‘The Witch Riding Your Back’.

Cabbodian, Laitian, and Thai culture believe sleep paralysis to be ‘Pee Umm’ and Khmout Sukkhot’. These describe dreams of ghostly figures holding down their victims, or merely being nearby. Both terms should not be confused with ‘Pee Khao’ and ‘Khamout Jool’ which refers to a ghost possession.

Hmong culture refers to sleep paralysis as ‘Dab Tsog’ or ‘Crushing demon’ In this instance the victim claims to see small child-sized entities sitting on their chests.

Many Americam Hmong, (mainly male) have died in their sleep, prompting the Centres for Disease Control to adopt the term, ‘Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome’, or (SUNDS).

Viatnamese culture refer to sleep paralysis as ‘Ma De’, meaning (held down by a ghost or, ‘Bong De’, (held down by a shadow’.

Chinese culture believes it to be, ‘Pinyin; gui y ashen’ or ‘Pinyin gui ya chan’. Translated: ‘Ghost pressing on bed’.

Japanese culture, as ‘Kanashibari’, meaning (bound or fastened in metal).

Hungarian culture folklore refers to sleep paralysis as ‘Lidercnymias’. (Lideric pressing). Here the term can relate to a number of supernatural entities like ‘Lideric’ (Wraith). ‘Boszorkany’ (Witch). ‘Tunder’ (Fairy) or ‘Ordogszereto’ (Demon Lover). The word ‘Boszorkany’ stems from the Turkish root ‘Bas’ meaning (to press).

Icelandic culture refers to sleep paralysis as having a ‘Mara’ (Devil that sits on one’s chest at night).

Malta culture attributes sleep paralysis to an attack by the ‘Haddiela’ who is the wife of ‘Hares’. To help prevent such an attack Maltese people believe to rid themselves of Haddeila, they must place a piece of silverware or a knife under the pillow just before sleep.

Kurdish culture believes it to be ‘Mattaka’. Kurdish people believe the form of a  ghost or evil spirit visits them in the night and suffocates them if they have done something bad.

New Guinea culture, as ‘Suk Ninmyo’. Here the origin is from sacred trees that use human essence to sustain their lives. These trees feed on human essence during the night so as not to disturb the human’s daily life.

Turkish culture, as ‘Karabasan’, (The dark presser/assailer).

Mexican culture refer to sleep paralysis as ‘Se me Subio el Mureto’ (The dead person got on me).

Southern American culture refers to the phenomenon as a ‘hag’ and it is believed to be a sign of an approaching tragedy or accident.

Southwest Nigeria culture describes sleep paralysis as ‘Ogun Oru’ (Nocturnal Warfare).

Pakistani culture refers to the phenomenon as encounters with evil jinns and demons. They believe the experience to be the result of enemies performing black magic.

Korean culture, as ‘Ga-ui-nool-lim’ menaing (pressed by a nightmare).

Tamail and Sri Lankan cultures refer to sleep paralysis as ‘Amuku Be’ or Amuku Pei’ meaning (the ghost that forces one down).

Malay culture, as ‘Kena Tindih’ meaning (being pressed).

Newfoundland culture refers to the phenomenon as the ‘Old Hag’. It is believed that the Hag can be summoned to attack a third-party, like a curse. Daviv J. Hufford stated in his 1982 book, ‘The Terror That Comes in the Night’ that believers call up the Hag by reciting the Lords Prayer backwards.

Because of the complexity and the profound effect this phenomenon can have on many people’s lives I intend to return to this topic in future articles when information from reliable sources becomes available.

Premonitions

Premonition is a type of prophecy consisting of an impressionable warning of a future event. The phenomenon is characterized by such sensations as anxiety, uneasiness, a vague feeling of disquiet suggesting impending disaster to actual visual or auditory hallucinations. Premonition is sometimes referred to as a "gut-level" feeling. The sensation tends to occur prior to disasters, accidents, deaths and other traumatic and emotionally charged events.

The sensation of premonition may be considered precognition at times because there is no clear-cut line between them. However, generally premonitions are sense-oriented, dominated by a syndrome of physical uneasiness, depression, or distress that is without discernible source or reason. It is an unexplainable feeling that "something is going to happen." Precognition, on the other hand, is more precise, involving visions or dream of the event that is to occur in the future.

For some investigators premonitions can include actions of patients and individuals in magnetic and mediumistic trances who prophesy that their malady or some terrible event, to them, will occur within a certain period of time, and may subconsciously wish to fulfill that prophecy. It might be question whether the similar phenomena might occur in a veridical dream or hallucination. This is theorized on the conclusion that a post-hypnotic person generally weaves his action into the surrounding circumstances, even though the very moment of its performance may have been fixed months before. Therefore this raises the possibilities that fulfillment of dreams and hallucinations might be suggested through telepathic communication to a person from another agent, which may not be far-fetched or impossible.

Another consideration is coincidence. The dream or hallucination of an event could possible coincide with the incident. Also, it is possible that impressions, whether they remain vague forebodings or are embedded in dreams, must at times be subconscious inferences drawn from an actual, if obscured, perception of existing facts. Such premonitions are by no means to be disregarded. However, frequently premonitions, no matter how impressive, prove to be absolutely groundless, where a ghostly visitant issues the warning.

In 1948, the prominent Soviet psychic Wolf Messing traveled to Ashkhabad to give some demonstrations of his abilities. Prior to his performances as he walked the streets of that city he was seized with a terrible dread and an intense desire to leave as soon as possible. He canceled his performances, the only time he did so in his life, and left. Three days later a massive earthquake leveled Ashkhabad, killing 50,000 people. Messing's premonition saved his life; however, he had no specific forewarning of the earthquake.

On October 21, 1966, twenty-eight adults and 116 children were killed when a landslide of coal waste tumbled down a mountain in Aberfan, Wales, and buried a school. According to three surveys taken afterwards up to two weeks before the disaster about two hundred people experienced both premonitions and precognitions. The premonitions included depression, a feeling that "something bad" was going to happen (some people accurately pinpointed the day), sensations of choking and gasping for breath, uneasiness, and impressions of coal dust, billowing black clouds, and children running and screaming.

Premonitions occurring in a waking state are more predominant that those that occur in dreams because in the latter they are frequently disguised as symbols, and tend to go unnoticed. However, when theses symbols frequently reappear in dreams, the individual may learn to recognize distinguishing symbols or emotional tones.

Premonitions can give early intuitive warnings that occur frequently but are too subtle to register on the conscious mind. Some of these intuitive warnings apparently register on the subconscious and cause the person to unknowingly alter his plans, which some evidence indicates. In the 1960 W. F. Cox examined passenger loads on trains involved in accidents between 1950 and 1955. By comparing the number of passenger on the train the day of the accident to the number of passenger on the same train for the preceding seven days, the preceding fourteenth day, and the twenty-eighth day, he found that on some accident days, but not all, there was a dramatic decrease in passengers. One example was the Chicago & East Illinois Georgian, it just had nine passengers on the accident day of June 15, 1952; whereas five days before it carried a more typical sixty-two passengers. Cox concluded that many of those intending to travel the disaster-bound trains had unconsciously altered their plans or missed the trains by being late.

A the similar or same factor may relate to doomed ships. The Titanic carried only fifty-eight percent of its passenger load on its disastrous maiden voyage when colliding with an iceberg in April 1912. A group of twenty-two stokers were late and the captain declared the ship would sail without them, a fact which may have saved their lives. The psychiatrist Ian Stevenson recorder more than nineteen incidents of premonitions and precognitions concerning the Titanic in England, America, Canada, and Brazil, which occurred within the two weeks prior to the ship's sailing date of April 10. Some cancelled their reservations after dreaming of the ship's doom; others said it was bad luck to sail on the ship's maiden voyage. Some of the survivors said they had felt uneasy but sailed anyway; the later is questionable because some sensation might have been prompted by after the fact thought.

Following the Aberfan disaster, a British Premonition Bureau was established in January 1967 to collect and screen early warnings in an effort to prevent disasters. A year later the Central Premonition Bureau was established in New York for the same purpose. Both bureaus did not progress too far because of low budgets, poor public relations, and much inaccurate information.

The functioning of premonitions is not exactly known, that is, why some people possess them while others do not. One theory is that some people are more open or prone to psychic suggestion. A cause for the diminishing of this psychic ability in people is that a larger portion of the population has become less intuitive. With the advancement of the scientific age people have began to rely less on their sensations; it is just in recent years that science is investigating the importance of human intuition and sensation.

Is this a Demon?

In this footage, a man and his friend videotape a trip into the forest at night. First they come across a dark liquid seeping into the ground, but that was nothing compared to what they came across next. Why does this demon live far out in the forest, isolating itself from our society?

The Myth of the Titanic Mummy

Among the stories surrounding the sinking of the luxury liner Titanic in 1912 was a tale about an unlucky mummy whose curse was as responsible for that accident as that floating island of ice the tore open the ship's hull. Though the story had been around for years, it spread rapidly in the wake of the popularity of the film Titanic. The tale goes something like this:

In the late 1890's a rich, young Englishman visiting the archaeological digs near Luxor purchased the coffin and mummy of The Princess of Amen-Ra. He arranged for it to be shipped back to his home, but was not there to receive it. He disappeared, never to be found. One of his companions on the trip later died, another lost an arm in an accident and a third lost his fortune in a bank failure.

The coffin reached England and was purchased by a businessman. Three members of the businessman's household were injured in an auto accident and his house caught on fire. Convinced that the mummy was unlucky, the man donated it to the British Museum.

The staff at the museum reported hearing loud banging and crying noises coming from the coffin at night. Things were thrown around the exhibit room without explanation. Finally a watchman died. Then a photographer took a photo of the coffin. When he developed it, the image that appeared was so horrifying that the photographer killed himself.

The museum wanted to get rid of the unlucky mummy, but with it's reputation they could not even give it away. Finally, an American archaeologist, who didn't believe in the stories, purchased the mummy and coffin and had it sent back to the states on board the Titanic. The rest was, well, history...

Other version of this story has the archaeologist bribing the Titanic crew to have the mummy put into a life boat and later it winds up in New York City. The mummy is sold and shipped again and involved in one or two more shipwrecks before winding up on the bottom of the sea.

Is this a true story? Or just a weird tale?

Shipping records show no mummy was on board the Titanic (this may be why some versions of the tale say that the archaeologist smuggled it aboard). In no account by any Titanic survivor do they mention sharing a lifeboat with a mummy (which wouldn't have been easy to forget). Nor did any rescuer report taking a mummy on board.

The tale probably has its origins with two Englishmen named Douglas Murray and T.W. Stead. Murray and Stead claimed that an acquaintance of theirs bought a mummy in Egypt and had it placed in a drawing room in his home. The next morning every breakable item in the room had been smashed. The next night the mummy was left in another room with the same results..

The pair also visited the British Museum and saw the coffin lid of Priestess Amun (there wasn't ever a mummy, only the lid). They decided that the face depicted on it was a tormented horror. Combining the two stories, that of the breakable items and the scary lid, the two sold the tale to the newspapers. The tale later grew to include the Titanic.

The Titanic portion of the story may have been inspired by the loss of the Menkaure sarcophagus in 1838. The sarcophagus, which was being shipped from Egypt to England, was considered to be one of the finest examples of art from the Old Kingdom period. It went to the bottom of the sea when the ship carrying it, The Beatrice, sunk in deep water somewhere near Cartagena.

The truth is that the Priestess Amun coffin lid (British Museum item No. 22542) is still sitting quietly in the British Museum's second Egyptian room, where it can be seen today.

Bridges? Path to the Afterlife?

Frequently supernatural phenomena occur in certain locations.  These locations include houses where tragic deaths have been reported, factories that have exploded or burnt with employees trapped inside, lonely stretches of roads where individuals have been hit or their cars have
crashed and bridges to name only a few.  Bridges have become infamous for being haunted probably because they provide isolated locations and structures in which tragedies occur.  There are beliefs bridges have become haunted because they cover running water which acts as a magnet for supernatural occurrences.

All around the world there are bridges noted for their haunting.  Sachs Bridge, Gettysburg, PA is where 50,000 men died July 1863 during the Civil War.  Benton Jones in 1883 built the Roseman covered bridge in Iowa where two sheriff's posses trapped a county jail escapee in 1892.  The escapee uttered a wild cry, leapt straight up and disappeared.  It was agreed that the man had to have been innocent.  Nectar Bridge in Alabama is the 7th longest bridge in the world before it caught fire and burned.  However, it was reported that the a mail carrier that died within it's walls haunted
the bridge until it was destroyed. In Alabama there are thirteen ghostly bridges that have been placed back to back over small creeks and lakes in which weird things have happened.

In Indiana and Ohio, there are dozens of bridges that are reportedly haunted.  The number of construction workers falling into the wet concrete forming the abutment is amazing.  The expense of removing the poor luckless employee doomed him to remain buried within the structure thus
creating another reason for the haunting.  One such bridge is called White Lick Creek Bridge in Indiana.  An employee named Dad Jones, 6'5" known for his strength was always given the most dangerous jobs.  One day, waiting for the concrete to fill the abutment the platform Jones was
standing on fell.  He sank into the wet concrete.  Although the men wanted to save him, they were told the expense would be too great and he would be dead by the time they reached
him.  So, Dad Jones remains entombed in the bridge and is seen walking when the full moon is out.

Then there are incidents in which babies have been thrown free of the bridge because of car wrecks or conditions in which the mother lost her child over the side only to return to seek her child after death. These are bridges referred to as "cry-baby" bridges. One "cry-baby" bridge can be found in
Dublin, Indiana.  Dublin is a small town off US 40.  { NOTE: The road leading to the bridge is no longer there and the path is on private property.  The owner, fearing for the safety of visitors refuses to allow access to the bridge.}  It is reported that a woman driving into town during a horrendous rain storm, skidded across the bridge and lost control slamming into the railings.  As a result throwing
her infant from the seat of the car, through the window and into the creek below.  The baby was swept away and never found.

Each state and country has at least one haunted bridge.  Some like Indiana have dozens.  Whether they are urban legends or truths, one has to wonder why is there such a connection between bridges and the afterlife?

Is it because of the tragedies that have occurred or is there more to it?   Bridges serve as connections and paths in which to travel.  In folklore and mythology bridges are often associated with heavenly paths in which the dead travel the bridge to reach the afterlife.  These paths are
frequently referred to as "bridges of souls."   Myth and folklore are referring specifically to rainbows and the Milk Way but is it possible that those who died on these bridges are still searching for their path to the afterlife?

Unexplainable Amazing Images

The Nature of Deja Vu

The term déjà vu comes from the French and means, literally, "already seen." Those who have experienced the feeling describe it as an overwhelming sense of familiarity with something that shouldn't be familiar at all.
Déjà vu is a phenomenon that by its nature as an instantaneous event cannot be scientifically proven to exist. And yet it does. The occurrence of déjà vu is actually quite common, 70% of us experience it at least once in our lifetimes.

 

There are many theories regarding the nature of déjà vu experiences.
In recent years déjà vu has been the subject of serious psychological and neurological research. The most likely explanation, according to scientists in these disciplines, is that déjà vu is an anomaly of memory.
Basically these theories link déjà vu with a misfiring of brain signals related to memory and recollection. Connections have been found between the experience of déjà vu and disorders such as schizophrenia and anxiety. People with these disorders are more likely to experience a déjà vu phenomenon than the rest of society.

 

 

The strongest pathological association of déjà vu is with temporal lobe epilepsy. People with this form of epilepsy often report experiencing déjà vu. This correlation has led some researchers to believe that the experience of déjà vu is a neurological anomaly related to improper electrical discharge in the brain.

Most people suffer a mild, non-pathological epileptic episode regularly. The sudden jolt, or hypnagogic jerk, A hypnagogic jerk is the experience of a large jolt, usually felt just before falling asleep and often described as an electric shock or falling sensation. It may be that a similar mild neurological abnormality in the form of a jolt to our memory functions can cause the experiences of déjà vu.
It is worth noting that people in the 15 to 25 year old age group report having far more instances of déjà vu. One speculation is that déjà vu is a kind of mental misfiring that occurs as the brain is maturing or as we have more life experiences.

The study of déjà vu experiences has until recently been relegated mostly to the fields of parapsychology and paranormal research.

It is interesting to note that the symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy involve many experiences which are common elements of paranormal studies.
Seventy-five percent of people diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy experience partial seizures which may include such features as: déjà vu, hallucinations of voices, music, smells, or tastes, feelings of unusual fear or joy, and the appearance of auras. Patients may also describe a sense of dissociation in which they report seeing their own body from the outside, commonly referred to as astral projection.

Far from discounting the study of the paranormal, the recent theories describing déjà vu experiences as electro-chemical misfiring in the brain, and the connections with temporal lobe epilepsy highlight the importance of continued research into paranormal phenomena. Many of the subjects of paranormal research exist as such simply because mainstream science regimes deem them unworthy of study.

Déjà vu like many other experiences, (dreams, astral projection, precognition, thought healing, etc,) have been discounted or undervalued as a topic of serious research. Nonetheless these experiences are encountered by a vast number of people and therefore worthy of study for that reason alone.

We may find that focusing serious research efforts on subjects currently within the realm of the paranormal will lead to a greater understanding of "real world" problems. We may also find that while some myths may be shattered along the way, many of the topics of paranormal research will be proven, validated and absorbed into the world of the commonplace

Icons of the Cemetery

Below you will find an alphabetical listing of common icons found in many cemeteries. Each symbol has its own unique meaning. Thus, when carved on headstones, each symbol silently suggests the life story of the people the symbol comes to represent.

The Anchor

As an early Christian symbol, the anchor alludes to St. Clement who is often depicted with an anchor and fish (Wikipedia). On occasion, between the 18th and 19th century, this symbol may have represented someone who has a seafaring profession (Leimer). This symbol may also denote hope (Anon).

The Ankh

Although the Ankh has been around since the Egyptians; this symbol would not have been popular in colonial times. It stands as a symbol of reincarnation, peace, prosperity, and eternal life.

The Arrow

The arrow can suggest martyrdom, were like qualities, or mortality.

Baseball/Basketball

Found on headstones slightly over a decade old, these symbols apparently represent the hobbies that the deceased participated in at one time. Other common symbols representing the deceased’s hobbies exist in cemetery art as well.

Bible

The Bible denotes wisdom (Weeden). It may often represent the divine word of God or personal accomplishments (Anon).

The Caduceus

The Caduceus depicts the symbol of a physician or the healer. The symbol itself consists two snakes entwined around a staff and the symbol stand as an emblem for healers (Merriam-Webster's).

The Dove

The dove is common to Christian decor and symbolizes peace and the Holy Ghost or Spirit. It also signifies the human soul (Anon).

The Dragon

A dragon is the symbol of Imperial Power, the universe, and chaos (GAzis-Sax).

The Eye of God

This symbol appears significantly similar to the 16th century painting, "The Eye of God.” It signifies that God is universal, and sees all, including sins.

The Firemen Emblem

The hose and ladder emblems can often be found on headstones representing individuals that were at one time part of the Fire Department.

Celtic Cross

The knot work on a Celtic Cross is a pagan symbol. The intertwining knots symbolize eternity (Weeden). In our era, the Celtic Cross may represent someone of Irish descent. It is interesting to note that each cemetery surveyed displayed at least one Celtic Cross.

The Crescent Moon

The crescent moon may represent virginity (Weeden). It may also suggest rebirth, and victory (Anon).

The Cross

The cross is a symbol of Christian faith. Thus, this is an extremely common symbol among local cemeteries.

The Crown

The Crown was popular in 18th century New England as a symbol of righteousness (Leimer).

Hand-Pointing Upward

Such a symbol signifies the hand of righteousness (Weeden). It also suggests the pathway or ascension and the elevated realms of heaven.

Hands-Holding

This symbol is common among married couples; indicating marriage, or farewell (Reid).

Hands-Praying

Also a common Christian symbol; the symbol indicates prayers and hopes for attaining life after death.

Hand-Shaking

This symbol differs from the marriage symbol, in that the sleeves denote male and female in the latter. This symbol suggests loyalty and friendship even after death (Reid).

Horse

This symbol may simply denote the deceased's love of horses however, to some that may mean a reference to Saints Martin, Maurice, and Victor, all signifying horseback riding (Anon).

Hourglass

An hourglass, depicted without wings, is a symbol of passing time or Father Time (Anon).

The Hummingbird

This icon may be depicting the deceased's affinity for hummingbirds. Yet, viewed as an animal totem, this bird represents the notion of wisdom, joy, and happiness (Evridge).

IHS

There seems to be a bit of confusion regarding the symbol: Some view it as the Greek symbol for Jesus, Savior of Men and thus sometimes it is viewed as in hoc salus which literally means" there is safety in this" or “in this safety” (Weeden). IHS is sometimes translated as Iesus Hominum Salvator, which means “Jesus, Man, Savior or the Saver of Men.” In other instances, IHS is sometimes translated as In Hoc Signo, which translates as “In This Sign, Ye Will Conquer.

Lilies

A Lily is representative of purity and resurrection because of its white color (kewebshop). In Christian art, the Lily is a symbol associated with the Virgin Mary, as well as the Immaculate Conception.

Leaves (Ivy)

Ivy signifies regeneration, immortality, friendship, and faithfulness (Leimer).

Masonic Symbols

One common Masonic symbol that looks like a pentagram with various symbols, is the icon associated with The Order of the Eastern Star. Another common symbol is that of a compass and square and is the symbol for masons, which stands for faith and reason. The "G" located in the middle of the Masonic symbol stands for God (Hawkins).

Pine Cones

This icon suggests a full, long life with children (Hawkins). Pine cones have many seeds in them, which makes it the ideal symbol for fertility and regeneration, or live after death and immortality achieved through one's children.

The Rose

The Rose signifies completion, perfection, and achievement. In Christian Art, the Rose is symbolic of grace and compassion or love. An eight-pedaled rose signifies regeneration (Leimer). The Rose is also a pagan symbol associated with the Goddess.

The Ship

The ship may be an icon that suggests the deceased's fascination with such. It also indicates the Christian faith and that the ship of faith can carry one through the world, as well as safely into the afterlife (Anon).

The Star

This icon suggests the spirit. For someone of pagan beliefs, it may suggest the four cardinal directions and Akasha; the symbol of all the elements and the spirit (Hawkins). As a Christian insignia, it comes to mean the tale of the birth of Christ.

The Sunset

The Sunset represents death, rebirth, and the promise of everlasting life. In art, the sun is a symbol associated with Christ, and the sunset can represent the ending of one’s life and the entry of an individual into the Kingdom of Heaven. Sunsets are also associated with the cardinal direction of the West and are therefore associated with endings. In some pagan belief systems, the sunset is associated with the Summerlands.

Wheat

The wheat icon suggests time and the divine harvest. It also suggests that we "reap what we sow" and that we will return to the divine harvester (Weeden).

The Willow Tree

The Willow Tree is German in origin, and represents sorrow: especially the weeping willow (Leimer).

Winged Angel

Winged figures indicate the flight of the soul (Hardy). Angels also represent the higher realm, a higher state of existence or consciousness, and can be a symbol representing guardianship or protection.

The Wreath

The Wreath symbolizes the victory of a good life and therefore, victory over death. It also suggests the circle of eternity (Hardy).

The Urn

The Urn stands as an icon of death; ashes of the deceased who have been cremated are often stored in urns. They are sometimes seen alone, or with willow trees and drapes: drapes suggest the final curtain of life (Hardy). Since the Urn is a vessel, it can also represent to act of returning to the Goddess, or the womb of reincarnation.

Woman with Anchor

A woman with an anchor is the Masonic symbol of hope (Hawkins).