Recently in Paramornal Category

An interesting and eerie place I've had the pleasure to visit is White Ladies Priory in the Shropshire countryside. This is a set of ruins of a medieval convent that dates from the twelfth century, although there is evidence to suggest that this was a religious place long before the Norman invasion of 1066.

I've always thought that the name White Ladies has a suitably ghostly feel. However, the most likely explanation for the name is quite simple. The nuns who lived here were well known for their white robes. They probably couldn't afford or didn't think it necessary to dye their habits black as in most other convents.

There is another couple of explanations for the name "White Ladies" which are much more interesting.

Ghosts don't just exist in medieval castles and creaky old pubs. Some of them are a bit more adventurous and choose to sail the seven seas.

For centuries sailors have spoken of mysterious ghost ships that spell doom and disaster for all who see them.

The most famous of these phantom vessels is 'The Flying Dutchman' which suddenly appears out of the mist with its ghostly crew on deck.

This ship was said to be carrying a valuable cargo and its captain was looking forward to making a vast profit on his return to Holland in 1641. Unfortunately his crew was struck down by disease. As if that wasn't bad enough the ship ran into a terrible and deadly storm. As the ship was about to be smashed to pieces, the captain cursed the Devil who he blamed for this disaster. The Devil, rather amused by this, put his own curse on the captain and his ship. 'The Flying Dutchman' would sail the world's oceans, never to see land again, until the end of time.

This strange, spectral vessel has been seen many times since, looming out of the mist, its ragged sails flapping in the wind and its masts creaking. Sailors have always known that if 'The Flying Dutchman' is sighted, something terrible is bound to happen.

From medieval dungeons to modern American penitentiaries, prisons are truly frightening places - and they remain frightening long after the last inmate has finished his porridge.
One former prison that sees a lot of paranormal activity is Derby Gaol, owned by ghost expert and historian Richard Felix.

Derby Gaol was built in the 1750's on a traditional, and very busy, execution site. Death and suffering were associated with the building right from the start.
England at this time was experiencing a massive crimewave caused by terrible poverty and cheap gin which large numbers of the population were addicted to.

The gap between rich and poor was immense and the ruling classes were not about to let the peasants get their grubby hands on the family silver. If you were poor and committed a crime you could definitely expect brutal punishment.

If you fancy doing a bit of ghost hunting, but don't fancy spending the night in a dark cellar with a bunch of nutters like me, then there are lots of hotels around that have some rather ghostly guests.

Birmingham Ghosts and Hauntings have conducted several investigations at the Station Hotel in Dudley. The building dates from 1936, but there was a hotel here for many years before that.

A particularly strong presence in the hotel is that of a spirit called George who seems happy to respond to "yes or no" questions by occasionally tapping on the walls and ceilings. He is most active in room 214. Be warned though, George is not a friendly chap and has been known to slap and push people, especially women.
It is thought that George is the ghost of a former manager of the hotel. He was having an affair with a maid called Elizabeth. When she threatened to tell his wife he flew into a rage and murdered her. It could be that George's guilt and anger has kept his spirit imprisoned at the Station Hotel where he takes great pleasure in giving the guests a good fright.

If you decide to visit the Station Hotel remember to pay a visit to Dudley Castle just over the road - you never know who or what you might encounter!

You may recently have seen a news item about ghostly activity going on at Derby City General Hospital. Staff and patients reported seeing an unearthly figure dressed in a long black cloak. Other reports stated that a Roman soldier had been seen marching around the hospital grounds (the hospital is sited on part of an old roman road).

Some witnesses were quite frightened by what they had seen. Hospital managers were so concerned that they apparently contacted the Church of England to ask if an exorcism could be carried out.

As a paranormal investigator I believe that spirits are all around us. For the most part they remain invisible, but there are certain places (and certain people) that give off extremely strong energies and emotions. Spirits are able to use these energies to make themselves known to us.

Hospitals, with their daily human dramas, are ideal places for a ghost to manifest his / her / its self. Britain is full of old hospitals, many of them dating back to Victorian times. For decade after decade these places have soaked up the intense feelings of sadness, fear and joy of the countless people that have passed through their doors. The ghostly sightings at Derby City General are by no means unusual and there are some haunted hospitals in and around Birmingham.

An essential piece of equipment we use on our ghost investigations is a digital voice recorder with an external microphone.

These are placed at various points at a haunted location in the hope that a spirit can utilise the electrical energy of the device to implant a message.

There has been interest in EVP ever since the first telephones and gramophones hit the Edwardian high street. It is thought the great American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (pictured) was convinced that the voices of the dead could be picked up on a particularly sensitive recording instrument. He was rumoured to be working on such a device when he passed over to the world of spirit himself.

A great many people since then have claimed to have heard or recorded unearthly, discarnate voices on different types of electronic gadgets. The phenomenon seems to have grown along with the technology.

A few years ago I was unfortunate enough to find myself lying on a hospital bed, in great pain, surrounded by doctors and nurses (I will spare you the graphic details).

As I slipped into unconsciousness I began to experience something very strange indeed. The pain simply melted away and my mind became sharper and clearer than it had ever been before.

I suddenly realised I was moving at great speed as if the race against time had begun. My body was hurtling through dark, twisting tunnels but I wasn't in the least bit frightened. In fact I felt immense happiness, excitement and an overwhelming feeling of love. There was a distinct feeling that something incredible was about to happen to me.

A soft female voice whispered to me, "Don't worry, everything will be alright". The next thing I remember was waking up in intensive care with a tube down my throat helping me to breathe.

The doctor told me that my heart had stopped but they had "jump started" me back to life. I was in fact lucky to have survived my ordeal.

I believe I had a near death experience. Though uncommon, an NDE is not rare. There are many, many accounts throughout human history and in all cultures. It is an amazing experience which is becoming more prevalent because, as in my case, medical technology is capable of bringing people back - even when they have "flatlined".

My experience is quite similar to the majority of others. Some people embark on profoundly spiritual and timeless journeys which takes them right up to the point of no return.

The classic NDE differs from person to person, but a pattern seems to be evident. As the body and brain begin the dying process, a person seems to have an out - of - body - experience.

A well known American musician called Pam Reynolds "died" during brain surgery. She felt herself "pop" outside her head and found herself looking down on her lifeless body. Pam later astonished doctors by describing complex surgical instruments being used and recalling the actions and conversations the surgeons had while working on her body.

The next stage seems to be floating or travelling at great speed down a long, dark tunnel (s) towards a pin prick of light which gradually grows bigger and brighter. As they travel along the tunnel some people report undergoing a "life review". They watch their whole lives pass before them in incredible detail. (Time does not exist in an NDE, at least not as we understand it). Every pleasure and every pain is re-experienced in vivid Technicolor. Every action and every decision is re-examined. People feel as if they are being made to pass judgement on themselves.

As a person moves closer to the light an overwhelming sense of love envelopes them. At this point people become aware that they are not alone.

Spiritual / religious beings are encountered and the presence of a god - like entity shines through everything.

However, for those who will return, the near death experience is about to end. The final stage is some sort of impassable boundary which can take many forms. In the case of Pam Reynolds she was stopped by several deceased relatives led by her grandmother. She was told it was not her time and that she had to go back. Reluctantly, she allowed a favourite uncle to escort her back down the tunnel. Re-entering her body was like "diving into a pool of icy water".

Other barriers are encountered such as fast flowing rivers that have no bridges to be found, or beautiful gardens cut off by never ending fences.

People are always reluctant to return to their physical bodies but, once back, they find that their lives have greatly improved.

Appreciation of life is massively increased and so is compassion for others. There is a heightened sense of self esteem and a voracious appetite for learning and knowledge. Problems become easy to solve.

After my experience I became much more spiritually aware than I ever was before.

Not all near death experiences are positive. Some people report having travelled to a frightening place of utter blackness. They felt as if they were in a massive crowd of tormented souls, but were unable to see, feel or speak to anybody else. Sometimes the presence of a demonic entity is felt to hover nearby.

However, even with such "hellish" experiences, people who return to life also seem to develop a more positive attitude to their lives.

One woman had a negative NDE after attempting suicide. She reported that she had been trapped in a cold, dark room. Black, hooded figures circled around her and she felt an overwhelming sense of fear and loneliness.

After returning to her body she decided to work hard at improving her life which had been beset by drug problems. She eventually found love and happiness.

One particularly interesting NDE I remember reading about concerned a young man involved in a terrible accident. He suddenly found himself walking through a baking, red desert. He eventually came across an uncle who had died a few years previously. The uncle was a picture of abject misery, sitting crossed - legged on the hot sand, head in hands, sobbing. Yet nearby was a beautiful oasis full of cool water and delicious fruit.

The young man was about to help his uncle when suddenly he felt himself being pulled back into his body. He later realised that this strange experience was some sort of lesson or, perhaps, a warning.

He remembered that his uncle had been an unpleasant and selfish man. He took no pleasure in life and was often the cause of distress and misery in others. He had taken these horrible characteristics with him to the afterlife and was now suffering as a consequence.

Like the woman who attempted suicide, the young man, not wishing to end up like his uncle, developed a more positive attitude to life.

Now, some scientists and sceptics will say that the NDE is nothing more than a hallucination brought about by chemicals flooding the dying brain. The afterlife, they say, does not exist...how can they be so certain?

For those who have experienced near death, it is all too real. We should never dismiss the possibility that when the brain begins to die that we embark on a different kind of journey.

Life is much more mysterious and complex than we are able to imagine and I think the NDE could be proof that our consciousness (or soul?) can exist outside of our physical selves.

There is no more compelling question than "what happens when we die?"

Every single one of us will eventually find the answer.