Join Patrick as we look back on over 3 years and 100 episodes of The Big Seance Podcast. Plus bloopers, funny moments, and the top 6 all-time most popular episodes.
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Patrick’s coverage of the 2017 Haunted America Conference in Alton, Illinois. Appearances by April Slaughter, Adam Drendel, Robb Demarest, Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and the Occult, Sarah Soderlund, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, and the History Goes Bump Podcast!
Coverage of the gathering of America’s original paranormal community: Troy Taylor’s Haunted America Conference 2016 in Alton, Illinois. Hear from Sherri Brake, Greg Newkirk, Barb Huyser, Kari Bergen, Steve Litteral, Keith Age, and History Goes Bump!
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Rosemary Ellen Guiley, leading expert in the paranormal and metaphysical field, shares her latest research on the Ouija, paranormal research, and why we need to know about the Djinn.
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Troy Taylor shares his journey from writing the first of 118 books in 1993 to his successful Haunted America Tours and the upcoming 20th Anniversary Haunted America Conference on June 24th – 25th 2016!
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I do not have any of these books yet, but I eagerly wait for them to land on my doorstep. The chances of me actually getting through all of these this summer are slim, but as I mentioned in my last post, my “to be read” shelf is getting low. I would like to use this post to also ask for recommendations of books that are similar to the ones below, perhaps a few on spirit communication specifically.
Anyway, enjoy the list. Perhaps we can do an Oprah style book club together, huh? Ha! We’ll see.
All book descriptions are from each book’s Amazon page, which can be found by clicking on the cover photos below.
I first heard about this book by Sandra Champlain while reading one of the latest newsletters from The Association TransCommunication (ATransC). As someone who is learning to deal with and understand my skeptic side, I felt this should definitely be on my list.
If You Realized That You Could Never Die, How Would You Live Your Life?
Every second, 4 human beings are born and every 1.8 seconds, one dies. As natural as death is, dying is the most common fear that we all share. With every loss comes the most painful emotion called grief, which can cause break ups of relationships, depression and even suicide. Over 100 million suffer from grief daily, although it is a subject not often spoken of, until now.
The fear of dying led Sandra Champlain on a 15 year journey to find evidence of the afterlife. Courageously, she now shares her personal story from skeptic to believer, along with proof that our deceased loved ones can still see, hear and communicate with us. Sandra also shares new information on the how our brains function during the grieving process and provides tools that ease pain and saves lives. It is now your time to find out who you REALLY are and discover for yourself that “We Don’t Die”.
Discover…
* Amazing Evidence That You Will Survive Physical Death
* Your Deceased Loved Ones Are Still With You
* The Purpose Of Your Life And Why You Are Here
* How To Ease The Pain Caused By Grief
* ‘Remote Viewing’ And Experience Who You Really Are
* How To Create A Powerful Life and Produce Extraordinary Results
This book by Joseph Lani is one that I quickly took note of when it was mentioned in a podcast interview of Mark Phillips, who is the creator and executive producer of the Biography Channel’s My Ghost Story. I’m really excited about it, in fact, it’ll probably be the first book from this list that I read!
Joseph Lani grew up on the south shore of Staten Island (NY), where a happy childhood was shattered by a tragedy that tears his family apart forever.
After trying to start a new life in Florida, Lani returned to New York and soon found himself a member of New York’s Finest. Then his life and the lives of so many others were changed forever on September 11, 2001.
After the initial horrors ended, Lani was assigned to the command center at the Fresh Kills Landfill, whose mission was to sift through the debris of the entire World Trade Center. Under the stress of the job, Lani suffers a massive heart attack and subsequent near death experience. He miraculously recovers to a new life fully enveloped in the spirit world.
In this fast-paced memoir in which we get to ”run with the bulls,” Joseph Lani recounts his many harrowing and humorous experiences on the job. Lani entertains his readers with an insider’s account of a very real world most of us only think we know from television.
I mentioned this book by medium Kristy Robinett in a previous blog. I’m just waiting for it to be released on July 8, 2013.
Since the age of three, spirits have come to me in the dead of night, telling me of their woes. Kristy Robinett shares the dramatic, touching, and terrifying moments from her extraordinary life as a psychic medium.
This captivating, powerful memoir is filled with unforgettable scenes: spot-on predictions, countless spirit visits at home and school, menacing paranormal activity, rescue from abduction thanks to her loving grandfather in spirit, and Kristy’s first meeting with two spirit guides who become her constant allies. Follow her emotional journey though a difficult childhood, stormy marriages, conflict with faith, job loss, and illness—and the hard-won lessons that opened her heart to true love and acceptance of her unique gift.
I have to be honest about this one. I’m not super excited about this book. The “djinn” is a popular topic with paranormal folks now days, and frankly I don’t get it. As of right now, I put the djinn in the same boat as black eyed kids, fairies, and other mythical creatures that I think sometimes make us in the paranormal world seem crazy, or not serious. But maybe that’s because I haven’t come across a black eyed kid. Maybe I wouldn’t understand the djinn because I never had the opportunity to interview one in an EVP session. So before I criticize it I figure I need to do more homework on it. Plus I think Rosemary Ellen Guiley is spectacular!
Could a single entity be responsible for a multitude of our paranormal experiences throughout history? Drawing upon her decades of extensive research in all facets of the paranormal, Rosemary Ellen Guiley makes a compelling case that our interactions with spirits, extraterrestrials, shadow figures, ancient aliens, demi-gods and human-creature hybrids all involve the mysterious Djinn. The Djinn are little-known in the West beyond folk tales of genies in lamps and bottles, but they are real and active in our world. They are a race of powerful, masterful shape-shifters who exist in a dimension parallel to ours. Humans have had millennia of intense engagements with the Djinn, who disguise themselves in the forms of many different entities in order to keep themselves and their true motives hidden. Some of their motives are not in our best interests. The Djinn are not the only beings interacting with humans, but their giant shadow falls across every part of our paranormal and entity contact experiences, including bedroom invasions, alien abductions, and genetics manipulators from other worlds. The Djinn are significant force in the destiny of human beings. In The Djinn Connection, Guiley explains what we need to know and how we should respond.
Don’t get this one confused with about 852 other books and movies with the same title, this supposed true story is by Steven LaChance. If I remember correctly, this book about the haunting of a home not far from me simply popped up as a recommendation on Amazon. It has some interesting reviews on the Amazon page.
What kind of evil lives at the Union Screaming House?
In this true and terrifying firsthand account, Steven LaChance reveals how he and his three children were driven from their Union, Missouri, home by demonic attackers.
LaChance chronicles how the house’s relentless supernatural predators infest those around them. He consults paranormal investigators, psychics, and priests, but the demonic attacks—screams, growls, putrid odors, invisible shoves, bites, and other physical violations—only grow worse. The entities clearly demonstrate their wrath and power: killing family pets, sexually assaulting individuals, even causing two people to be institutionalized.
The demons’ next target is the current homeowner, Helen. When the entities take possession and urge Helen toward murder and madness, LaChance must engage in a hair-raising battle for her soul.
Selected as one of the Best Books of 2008 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Books for Summer Reading (2012)
Rosemary Ellen Guiley
I purchased this book after hearing the author, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, interviewed on The Paranormal Podcast with Jim Harold. For a while now I’ve wanted to find a great book solely on the topic of the Ouija board, or talking boards in general. I’ve heard her interviewed a few times and I just love her. Plus, I’ve read and enjoyed another book by her as well, so I knew it was the book for me.
Rosemary (along with Rick Fisher) mention in the introduction of the book that they’ve had no negative experiences with the Ouija. They are convinced it is a “neutral tool” for spirit communication. After reading this introduction I was convinced I was ready to give it a try. After all, as a paranormal investigator and the writer of a blog called The Big Séance, it is probably something I should have some experience with. Then I read on and changed my mind over and over as I read the rest of the book. You see, much of the book is a collection of recounted experiences and true stories of different talking boards going back to 1886. Much of the earlier experiences with the Ouija board are pretty benign, since it was intended for lighthearted entertainment purposes. But most of the more modern stories are overly dramatic and filled with evil activity. The authors attribute this to Hollywood.
I really really really wanted to come away with full signed permission from the author to give the Ouija a try, but most of the stories made me wonder why I ever wanted to. At the same time, I understand that in this day and age a book about nice and fluffy, positive experiences with a Ouija board is going to go nowhere. So, after finishing the book I came away with several things.
Keeping in mind that I haven’t had that Ouija experience yet, I still tend to believe that using a Ouija board (or any other talking board) shouldn’t be any different from any other form of spirit communication, which is a topic that I’ve studied quite a bit in the last few years. As a paranormal investigator and researcher (I hope I’m allowed to refer to myself as this), I’ve experimented with several forms of spirit communication, many times successfully. I’ve always experimented in an atmosphere of respect and seriousness. At no time have I felt that I was in harm’s way or felt that I was in danger of being possessed or influenced in any way. I do believe that the Ouija board is a tool that I’ll try soon. For a few different reasons, I think I need to try this on my own. I just think it has to be the right time and place. And when that happens, you know you’ll be the first to know!
From the back cover of the book as well as Guiley’s website.
For more than a century, simple divination devices called “talking boards” have captivated millions of people curious about contacting the spirit world. The most famous is the Ouija, whose trademarked name has become synonymous with all boards. Ouija messages have inspired writers, artists, and musicians, and have played a part in murder, suicide, possession, treasure hunting, marriage, divorce and bizarre behavior.Authors Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Rick Fisher provide a detailed examination of the Ouija. They debunk myths and discuss how horror films have influenced popular opinion.
Ouija Gone Wild features dozens of true stories collected over decades, many told in print for the first time., including tales of unexpected terror:
“She realized she had a problem when an aggressive entity turned the planchette into a sex toy and sent it slithering up her thigh…”
“I glanced over at the heat vent and what I saw scared me so much I dove off of the chair and refused to touch this ‘so called game’ again. I saw two red eyes staring back at me through the grates…”
“Suddenly I was sucker punched in my stomach. The force of the blow made me slam face-forward onto the table. Clutching my stomach, I took my hand off the planchette…”
I wanted to take this opportunity to just give readers an update on my incredibly exciting life as of late. (Ahem… that was your cue to laugh.)
I am completing my fourth week of school for this new year. The beginning of the year always keeps me pretty busy, and so I haven’t be able to focus nearly as much as I would like to on “paranerdal” activities. I’m behind on analysis of my last two investigations. I’ve really stepped up the analysis of the most recent private residence though, due to more activity and the concern of the family. It has taken me almost two weeks to get through all of the audio alone (lots of stationary audio), but I have to tell you, I’ve gotten some interesting stuff, including the voice of someone asking for help. One of the EVP from this investigation is possibly the most clear file I’ve recorded yet. I’ve captured some interesting responses and activity from the spirit box as well, although I still struggle with having confidence in knowing what I’m hearing. In general though, experiences with my own spirit box have not been as clear or impressive as what I’ve heard and experienced with other groups. It’s still a big learning experiment for me… although I guess everything is, isn’t it? It has been a pleasure getting to know the family, working with a friend and medium, and trying to do what I can to get to the bottom of whatever is going on. Tomorrow I move on to video analysis and add to my already 11 pages of notes.
Someone or something was definitely in my house and woke me up at around 3am a few nights ago. One of the strangest feelings I’ve ever had. Maybe more on this later. Nothing since.
I’ve been reading and enjoying Ouija Gone Wild by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. It’s the first book I’ve checked out that was devoted solely to the topic of the Ouija Board. I’ve always liked to hear what Rosemary has to say. I plan on sharing more of my thoughts on this latest book in a future post.
What about my personal EVP and Radio Sweep experimenting here at home? Well… there hasn’t been much of that in quite a while. I hope to have a session sometime over the Labor Day weekend. I also hope to have some willing spirits joining me since it has been a while. Send some my way, would ya? Only the good ones. 🙂 Stay tuned.
I’m waiting for whatever is left of Hurricane Isaac to show up here in Missouri. Bring it! After this drought, I might just lay out in the yard and make rain angels when it gets here.
Lastly, I’m excited for some upcoming séance experiences happening in a few weeks. This will be a big project for me, and Marilyn and I are excited to jump into it. Don’t worry, we hope to take you along with us!
For those of you in the US, have a fantastic Labor Day weekend! (Oooh, that means Fall is just about here!)
I’ve mentioned Jim Harold and the Paranormal Podcast several times here at The Big Séance. It has played a big part in my paranormal “education” in the last several years. I love to listen to his podcasts driving to and from work. And… maybe I’m a nerd, but the opening theme music pumps me up and prepares me for the day. 🙂 I can proudly say I’ve listened to almost every episode! If you haven’t checked The Paranormal Podcast out, you totally should!
Jim Harold
Some of my favorite guests or authors on the program have been Annie Wilder, Maria DeSimone, Michelle Belanger, Lesley Pratt Bannatyne, and Rosemary Ellen Guiley, who was recently interviewed by Jim about her latest book. I’m ordering it as soon as I “publish” this post.
From Guiley’s site:
For more than a century, simple divination devices called “talking boards” have captivated millions of people curious about contacting the spirit world. The most famous is the Ouija, whose trademarked name has become synonymous with all boards. Ouija messages have inspired writers, artists, and musicians, and have played a part in murder, suicide, possession, treasure hunting, marriage, divorce and bizarre behavior.Authors Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Rick Fisher provide a detailed examination of the Ouija. They debunk myths and discuss how horror films have influenced popular opinion.
Rosemary Ellen Guiley
I have to tell you (without going into a giant Ouija board post) that even though in the past I have resisted the urge to run out and get a Ouija board, I’ve always taken a strong NO OUIJA BOARD stance. After listening to her discuss the book, I wonder if this opinion is silly… especially having never used one. I like to consider myself a person who takes spirit communication and the study of it seriously. If this is the case, is it truly any different from experimenting with the spirit box or my clock radio… or even basic EVP research?
I’ve read quite a bit about the topic, but never an entire book devoted to it. While looking up sites to link in this post, I also realized that there are more books than I realized devoted solely on the topic of the Ouija. My “To Read” shelf may have just grown quite a bit.
Thoughts? Does anyone have any interesting Ouija board experiences?
As the founder of Missouri Spirit Seekers, I can tell you we are probably a little more cautious at claiming ANY evidence is paranormal than a lot of other groups out there. Therefore, we don’t have a ton of dramatic EVP evidence that we believe is 100% paranormal, but our biggest piece of evidence in the form of EVP is from one of our investigations of Friedens United Church of Christ in St. Charles, MO. Below is a video of this EVP that I put together.
There are many people who have a daily routine of recording and communicating with spirits on the other side and those that remain earthbound. Many people claim to also record voices of entities from other planets or galaxies. There is so much to learn about EVP, who we are talking to, and how it works, and in my opinion the study of it is still very much in its infancy.
One of things I like to do occasionally is record random EVP sessions in my home. I’m not really good at being consistent (and that’s important) because life gets busy and it’s not always easy to find a quiet time and place. Before these sessions I try to ground and center and sometimes have a quick meditation. During the sessions I always ask if there are any entities from the light present who are willing to communicate with me to further the study of EVP and life on the other side. I frequently ask to talk to some of the EVP pioneers who have been known to communicate with people around the world. For portions of the recordings I’ll usually use three different kinds of “white noise” that has been known to help entities produce sound and communicate. I also frequently use Stefan Bion’s EVP Maker, which many people use study EVP use. After learning how many people have been contacted through electronic devices, such as a computer, I’ve also been opening a new word document for each session as well. Why not? This kind of documented evidence (and EVP itself) is an example of Instrumental TransCommunication, or ITC.
I’ve not had a lot of success with my personal EVP sessions yet, but I’m determined to keep trying. As I said, I haven’t been very consistent. Starting this week I am on vacation for two weeks. I plan to conduct short EVP sessions daily during this whole time period. I’ve learned a lot from Sarah Estep’s Voices of Eternity and I recently joined the Association TransCommunication (formerly AA-EVP that was started by Estep herself). I’d like to try some new things. I hope to have some things to share with you in the next few weeks.
I highly recommend the following books if you’re interested in EVP.
"There is No Death and There Are No Dead" by Tom and Lisa Butler. They are the current directors of ATransC.
"Voices of Eternity" by Sarah Estep
"Talking to the Dead" by George Noory and Rosemary Ellen Guiley
"Something Unseen" by Stephen Hill
