“You’ll never look at the region the same way again after reading about the tunnel from hell, toe-tugging spirits, and the curse of the mummy.” —The Boston Globe Before it became a haven for arts and culture, the Berkshires was a rugged, sparsely populated frontier. From the early days of Revolutionary fervor and industrial enterprise to today’s tourism, many chilling stories remain. A lost girl haunts a cemetery in Washington, and mysterious spirits still perform at Tanglewood. From the ghostly halls of the Houghton Mansion to the eerie events at the Hoosac Tunnel, residents and visitors alike have felt fear and awe in these hills, telling tales of shadow figures, disembodied voices and spectral trains. Author Robert Oakes, who has given ghost tours at The Mount in Lenox for more than a decade, leads this spirited journey through history. “The rich history of this region—spanning more than two centuries—includes spine-tingling tales from almost every town in the county. Oakes culled many of them for his book, which touches on myriad metaphysicals, including ‘The Undead Hessian of Egremont,’ ‘Highwood’s Ghost at Tanglewood,’ and ‘The Ghostly Guest in 301: The Red Lion Inn’—each of which will inspire readers to ‘peer into the shadows beyond the beam of [their] flashlight.’” —The Berkshire Edge
Reports of paranormal experiences vary tremendously, but are often associated with ghosts, haunted houses, and otherwise eerie circumstances. There exist both classic and modern texts on ghosts and haunted or possessed people, places and spaces; many discuss traditional ideas regarding such phenomena or utilize now-outdated research in highly academic and technical ways. This book offers a very different approach in reviews provided by a leading-edge research program devoted to who has ghostly experiences and why. With new insights both global in scale and multidisciplinary in scope, this collaboration by five researchers uncovers consistent evidence that anomalous experiences represent a very real "Haunted People Syndrome"--a term describing anomalous experiences that manifest recurrently to the same percipients and are interpreted as "ghostly"--with implications for future research across academia. The participation of new citizen scientists (the field investigators and researchers among us) is invited in furthering the exploration of paranormal mysteries. Photos and figures illustrating concepts and models are included, as is a glossary.
From phone calls from the dead to various forms of hauntings, this fascinating collection of true paranormal accounts written by a researcher and scientist documents the experiences people from all walks of life have had with the supernatural.
The early conviction that the destruction of the federal building in Oklahoma City was the work of Islamic fundamentalists is testimony to the depth of current American fears of Middle Eastern terrorism. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and in the wake of the World Trade Center bombing, terrorist attacks have rapidly replaced nuclear armageddon as the foremost lurking threat in the nation's consciousness. Is militant Islam an unstoppable juggernaut, an imminent danger to both moderate Muslim governments and Western ones? Or will it inevitably burn itself out? Regardless, its record during the past decade and a half is impressive and bloody. With the destruction of Israel as its stated goal, the Islamic fundamentalist movement has embraced terrorism as the means to this end. In his bid to consolidate power in Iran after the Islamic revolution in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini, facing terrorist opposition, curbed it by extreme measures, gaining a taste for this form of warfare and using it as an arm of Iranian foreign policy to aid like-minded terrorist groups and embarrass Iran's national enemies. Since then, Iran has been at the heart of both the fundamentalist movement and the terrorism which seems inextricably linked to it. The Iranian Connection is a world-wide network of embassies and diplomatic missions--staffed with intelligence personnel-- which shelters terrorists, stores their weaponry, and monitors potential targets. With this book, Edgar O'Ballance has written a readable investigative account of Iran's involvement in international terrorist activity.
Do you believe that the truth is out there? This book will fascinate both young skeptics and paranormal believers alike with true tales about creepy happenings, strange people, and bizarre places. Eerie photographs will connect readers to the intriguing text, and scientific explanations will leave them even more in awe of our freaky, wonderful world. Science and history combine to make this volume a must-read for every young ghost hunter and would-be scientist.
Why do infants and toddlers seem to have a heightened awareness of the paranormal—and an often marked ability to interact with the unknown? And why do these qualities and abilities seem to mysteriously disappear during adolescence? There's Something Under the Bed! explores the often complex relationships between children and the paranormal, and focuses special attention on the sometimes startling realities behind children's "imaginations." This book will help you: Distinguish whether your child’s imaginary friend is the product of his or her mind, a harmless spirit in the house, or something more malicious. Trace the links between children’s ever-changing beliefs and folklore, fairy tales, and popular culture. Understand the real phenomena behind ghosts, fairies, angels, and possessions. Foster a healthy relationship between your child and the paranormal. Protect your children from fear and danger.