Sunday, April 19, 2009

Bad Economy leads people to rely on Psychics



It was interesting to find that the majority of the people who visit psychics at the Learning Light center for the monthly psychic fairs would go to seek answers for financial issues regarding themselves, the economy, and loved ones. A variety of people also attended different forms of psychic workshops so that they could learn to tell the future themselves. Going to psychics for advice or fortune-telling can become very costly on their own so it's fascinating as to why people who already have money problems would resort to spending even more money? The people who live on a tight budget are generally the ones who are spending their already low cash on the paranormal for guidance.

In several of the local news sources such as the ones found online, print, and on television reported today that there has been an increase in psychic clients due to the immense desperation regarding the loss of jobs and homes. Here is a short clip regarding some of these worries.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Links and Websites:


Here are the links and websites where additional information, photographs and interviews may be accessed:

http://www.myspace.com/paranormaljournalism

http://www.youtube.com/user/SillyAmer

The Hauntings of Alcatraz Prison

Here is one of the dark corridors in Alcatraz prison that is said to clang as if men run up and down the stairs late at night when the tourist boats have taken all the visitors back to land.

The first thing many tourist think about when they arrive outside Alcatraz prison is about what happened to the criminals that attempted to escape over four decades ago, but it was only until recently that the paranormal aspect of the visits began to overshadow the escape of 1962. There have been some recent claims of a banjo playing in the prison once all visitors have cleared out except for the night security guards. These musical notes are believed to be the doing of one of Alcatraz' most famous inmates, Al Capone, because that was what he would do to pass the time. However, nobody has provided evidence so the claims remain as just a rumor.

Many ideas about the Alcatraz also arise when movies such as, "Escape from Alcatraz," "The Rock," or "The Birdman," come into conversation, but many of the employees over at the prison say they are lies. That includes all the paranormal claims that were made in various documentaries and televisions shows about ghosts as well. Alcatraz even offers a separate ranger to guide a tour based on explaining these supposed lies and say they were merely concocted by Hollywood, regardless of some of the allegations made by the security guards in the middle of the night.

"Do I know about the paranormal activity that is said to occur here at Alcatraz , well of course I do," said Ranger John Cantwell. "I have never seen anything here myself but I have heard several people say they have a strange feeling when they walk through the prison cells, but I think a lot of it has to do with ideas people put in their heads when they watch ghost hunter shows."

When asked about the accuracy of the portrayal of Alcatraz in some of the more popular movies based on the prison regarding torture, the rangers denied them as well.

"Movies don't lie, right?" said Ranger Al Blair, the guide for the Hollywood tour. "I mean, if Sean Connery escaped from Alcatraz and Hollywood tells us the criminals should have successfully escaped, that's the way it really goes apparently."

In order to arrive to Alcatraz Prison, tourist and employees have to take the same route on a ferry boat that the former prisoners took before they were locked away.  This leaves many tourists with the feelings of a combination of sympathy and tranquility because the sight on board is a beautiful, yet sad one. 

"It makes you feel really sad because it's such a nice view but then you hear about the torture that took place here and it's kind of difficult to believe there aren't any spirits lingering here," said Erik Gutierrez, a visiting tourist on Spring break. "I mean, that's a big reason I came here today. I want to see what this fuss about spirits and ghostly banjo music is because its been reported on the TV."

Several paranormal investigators, psychics and mediums have tested the receptivity of Alcatraz and it is often reported by visitors that the feeling of anger and frustration is leaked into the walls. 

"Many people come here claiming they can feel the thoughts of the prisoners when they were locked up, " said Cantwell. "I can't say I feel the same but at least people walk away with a ghost story to tell when they get home."

This vault is located near the visitation center and warden's office, which was where the prisoners used to go when they misbehaved. Two officers were murdered at this location and paranormal activity has been reported here since 1976, which is a full 30 years after the murders took place.

Here is one of the rooms where the infamous Alcatraz prisoners escaped back in 1962. The rangers at Alcatraz assured guests that the men never made their escape to Angel Island alive and it was only in the movies.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Abandoned Downey Asylum Rumors

Here is a picture of the Rancho Los Amigos abandoned asylum. Image provided: here

In the Los Angeles County area sits a town called Downey, which is renowned for its expensive real estate value, but also for its rumored ghostly presence at the Rancho Los Amigos Asylum, a hospital used previously for the mentally ill. It has not been occupied for years.

It is a destination for many curious teenagers to visit when they feel the need to be scared or just to hang around and see if any ghostly sightings could be found. The asylum is located behind the local courthouse and next to a private Catholic school for girls called Saint Joseph's, which is also well-known locally for claims of paranormal activity from students around the neighborhood. "There are many girls that have problems at Saint Joseph's when it comes to the paranormal, "said Victor Gonzalez, 17, a senior at Downey High School. "My twin sister Valerie goes there and strange things happened in the classrooms like dry erase pens thrown across the room, but they've had bigger problems in the bathrooms with loud, unknown footsteps and fingerprints materializing on the mirrors before their eyes."

Though no paranormal activity has been proven at either location, it does not stop teenagers and even some adults from trespassing on the property. There are dozens of homemade videos of footage of the Downey asylum that can be found on Youtube.com, but many have posted pictures and horror stories of visits to the abandoned asylum on various websites and chatrooms online. 

"It was really scary when we went there to the asylum, we took our two daughters and went inside and experienced a lot, plus we got some creepy footage too so something was definitely in there," said Lolita Salazar, 30, a resident of Downey. "The cops did stop us but they saw that we had our kids with us so they let us stay as long as we didn't go inside and that was the wrong idea because we continued all over inside and across the street; it was crazy and it is definitely haunted."

Downey residents Marvin Del Cid, 19, and Gilbert Aleman, 19,  were recently given warnings by police officers for eating burgers in the asylum's forbidden parking lot. The men did not think they were breaking any rules since they were eating silently and privately. 

"The police treated us horribly," said Del Cid. "The cop made us get out of the car and shoved my friend and I on the top of the car violently and said he would arrest us next time he saw us there again."

These visits to the asylum are illegal and if a person is caught, it leads to issues with the police department because they currently occupy the open space to use as a target practice range for new cops in training and each Downey officer takes turns patrolling the area.

 Regardless of the arrest threats and expensive fines many teenagers receive when caught on the premises, they continue to return to the asylum in hopes of catching a glimpse of a ghost of one of the many past residents that used to live behind the currently boarded-up walls.