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Travel and the paranormal
Okay, I'm probably starting this too late at night. I realize it's already after midnight in the Eastern time zone. But, as always seems to be the case the night before a trip, I'm up doing laundry!
Every once in a while someone starts a thread about "haunted" tours of one city or another. The very fact that these tours exist in so many cities indicates that I'm certainly not the only one who has a fascination with the subject. And one of Indytravel's responses to my Bloomington, Indiana thread got me thinking about this. Has anyone ever seen, heard, felt a ghost? Particularly at a hotel or restaurant? I'd be terrified to stay in a hotel that has a reputation for being haunted. But I've eaten in restaurants that are supposedly haunted. Anyone else have feelings about this one way or the other? |
Caph, if it makes you feel any better I am doing laundry for a trip too, lol!
We have stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado quite a bit, and it is supposedly haunted. There is a book about it...very interesting. I don't mind staying there...actually really enjoy it...but I would NOT want to be in the one room! I would just rather heard about it than experience it. |
That's pretty much the way I feel about it too, mms! As I told Indytravel, I'd probably have a heart attack if I saw a ghost! But, as I said, I have a real fascination with the subject.
I'd probably be a little braver about a hotel in which only one room is supposed to be haunted. As you said, I sure wouldn't want to stay in that room though! :D |
aaahhh. so nice to know i am not alone in the universe doing laundry late at night. and i'm on the east coast, so it is really late for me. i leave friday for california for two weeks, so this is a huge burden off my list of things undone due to dealing with flooding.
about ghosts....long ago i stayed in an old inn where there was a ghost. i was scared, didn't sleep much, but was not affected otherwise. i have two friends who have ghosts in there homes...they always have stories. i've heard my mother call my name in the middle of the night, altho she's alive and not even in this state! if i were in a ghosty situation, i think i'd just pray a lot for divine protection, not knowing what else could possibly save me! a man broke into my house during the daytime last week while we were gone. when we came home, he was standing naked in the kitchen drinking a glass of water!!!!! not even trying to hide or get out once he saw us. yes, the police came and arrested him. they said he was delusional and probably high. they wanted to search the house for drugs he may have stashed. it was freaky, but not malicious. the children are afraid to be home alone now. i have to decide if i want to press charges! i don't much feel like it. i guess i would prefer the naked intruder over a haunting.... |
OMG, corwin! How frightening to come home and find someone in your house. Naked, no less! I know what you mean about preferring that to a haunting. But still...
The two friends who have ghosts in their houses, doesn't it totally freak them out? |
You are not alone! Here's a thread on the subject from the Europe board, started after I inquired about staying at a haunted chateau.
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34814287 I have paranormal experiences, at home and abroad. I had a ghost in my condo unit when I first moved in three years ago......I tried to get rid of him but was told "Well, you know, he was here first." Once my friend came over, and she felt him, too! Wait! It gets crazier! So I had to have a "talk" with him and told him that I was the new owner, and he could continue to live with me, rent-free, as long as he kept to himself and didn't bother me or my friends. Or else I would pull out the big guns in exorcism. It's been fine ever since, pretty much. As far as travels, though, I do not take ghost tours because of my tendency to attract them! I only had a semi-negative encounter once....in an apartment I rented in Prague. When I look back, though, it was probably trying to get me to mingle more outside, because I met some of the most amazing people in the bar outside while trying to avoid the ghost! |
well, they haven't moved. nothing harmful ever happens, just appearances that are more oft reported by the children. about five years ago at a christmas party there was a 'hired' psychic off in a side room that you got to sign up to see for 20 minutes. she told me not to worry about my family because we'd been together for many lifetimes and i wasn't always the mother! do you ever think about stuff like that?
caph, still doing laundry? i cannot fold all this tonight. i'm taking my lap top to bed with me. |
Corwin, I've had that kind of reading....where our family (most of us) have been together over many lifetimes. The only one was my sister, whom she said was not family but a friend of the family--like a close neighbor. That suddenly made so much sense to me, because she's a little different from us!
My friend's nephew in Kona is currently seeing his grandma Tanouye, who actually died before he was born. He says she's here to take their other grandma to heaven, and that will be next week so she's just kind of hanging out at the house with him. The other grandma is severely ill. whooooo. |
i think i'd like someone to come escort me if i was leaving this life. that sounds comforting in an odd sort of way. what's cool is that it's always the children who are more receptive or tuned in to what the spirits want to accomplish when they appear.
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omg. what is the matter with that fauxstmarie person on melissa's referenced thread? good grief. who put her in charge of the universe?? can she not mind her own business and leave the rest of us alone?
crazy. |
Melissa, thanks so much for giving me the link to that thread on the Europe forum! Very interesting!
As is your story about the spirit here to escort someone! As corwin said, it's a very comforting thought. As for children being more receptive...I remember reading somewhere years ago that it's not unusual for children to talk about past lives. But that, in cultures that don't believe in reincarnation, it tends to get "swept under the rug". So, since talk of it isn't encouraged, children soon forget. When I was pregnant with our second child, our daughter often talked about her "other family". Logically, I suspect that it was a reaction to the fact that we were about to have another child -- our other child, her other family. But I couldn't help thinking about those reincarnation stories. However, it's hard to reconcile a belief in ghosts with a belief in reincarnation! |
Verdun, France.
Roanoke Island, North Carolina. I'm definitely NOT the superstitious, mumbo-jumbo type at all. Give me logic, science and reason all the way - but when I was in those 2 places, I believed. Ken |
p.s. here's the original thread that the "Why Be Scared" thread branched off of:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34814233 Also, I work at Aloha Tower Marketplace, which has the historic Falls of Clyde nearby. I recently rode on the Amsterdam cruise ship....and met a man who said he had never believed in ghosts or seen a ghost in his life. One day, he was on the Falls of Clyde, and lo and behold, there was a very well dressed ghost! The man stood before him and --poof!-- the ghost was gone. I've checked with the Maritime Museum and no one knows of a ghost on the Falls of Clyde, but this man swears he was sober and wasn't hallucinating. |
CAPH, I hope you can make it to Hawaii one day. We have TONS of such stories to tell. My mall has a new owner rep, and she is unfamiliar with the culture of Hawaii. Our entire office--me, my general manager, our CFO, controller--relayed all kinds of gentle ghost stories over dinner one night to demonstrate how "different" Hawaii can be. The owner rep was blown away and kept asking, "What religion is this?!" And we had to keep assuring her, "It's not a religion; it's the culture." And then we had to tell more stories to try and help her not be scared.
I also used to be a total reincarnation skeptic. But the more I learned about the process, combined with paranormal stuff, the more I understand. Actually, my friend's nephew was not going to say anything to his parents about seeing Grandma Tanouye. He confided in his brother. But once his dad got wind of it, he had to ask him if he saw ANGELS, and then he admitted to seeing what he saw. I think I'd like an escort as well. But knowing me, I will have researched the best way to get there beforehand, as well as some popular activities in my intended destination! :) |
"But knowing me, I will have researched the best way to get there beforehand, as well as some popular activities in my intended destination!"
Spoken like a true Fodorite, Melissa! :D |
A building at Notre Dame U. My friends and I walked in, and this calm just falls over us. Unearthly peace. No way to explain it, other than a spiritual presence of some sort.
And- this doesn't really count- but I'm occasionally really freaked out by large picture windows (in my house, or other wise) in the middle of the night. You know, when you're the only one awake and when you look towards the window, you see your reflection and darkness. No noise at all. I'm always half convinced all turn around one of these days and see a glowing set of eyes. It's completely irrational- except when I was a kid, we once found a raccoon in the backyard birch, taunting the dog. (Middle of town, so weird). And all you could see of him/her, was.....a set of glowing eyes! So maybe it comes from that. Yeah, I'd like to go on one of those tours someday: Orleans or Seattle. Love ghost stories- when I travel, I always pick up a local anthology- it's a great way to get a feel for the place's history.:) Melissa- ever seen a series called "Obake Casefiles" at a Hawaiian bookstore? My aunt bought me one, once, for Christmas. Not even sure if it's still in print. Creeeepy, but very interesting. Great thread, Caph52!! |
All of this reminded me of another place. My husbands old fraternity. During a Christmas break, while we were in school, the housemother passed away...yes, at the house. I never saw anything, but for the rest of my college years, the guys all talked about her still roaming the halls. Even though these were college guys, some of the stories I heard, I would have to say it was true.
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Caph:
Your post cracked me up! About three months ago my husband and I were having dinner at a local Chinese restaurant in our town in Louisiana. Earlier that day, Sylvia Brown had been on the Montel show and I was telling my husband about "wood sprites," and we were discussing the paranormal. Just as he finished saying, "I don't know if I really believe in all of that," the little jar of duck sauce started moving across the table. We both watched it move about 6", then looked at each other and started laughing. It continued moving until it was in the middle of the table (about 2' from where it started). We both reached for it, but he picked it up and felt the bottom (same thing I was thinking - maybe the bottom was wet, the table wasn't level, and it was sliding). Dry as a bone. He put it back where it belonged and we both watched it like hawks for the rest of the meal. P.S. We're leaving for a trip in 10 days, and I'll be up till 2:00 a.m. doing laundry, I'm sure! |
<i>Obake</i> is the Japanese word for ghost. And yes, I've seen the book "Obake Casefiles," but I don't read that stuff if possible. I got enough paranormal stuff to think about in real life! The book was written by Glenn Grant, who used to lead ghost tours around Honolulu. My friend said that it was such a spooky tour that some people (men, no less) would leave the tour and not finish it because they couldn't handle the fear! Glenn finally passed away at an early age a couple of years ago--he claimed a dog <i>obake</i> had been after him for years. Anyway, I think his colleagues continue with ghost tours and such but are not at all as famous as Glenn. You can inquire at The Haunt (I think it's their bar) or the adjacent Seance Room, both on King Street in Honolulu past Puck's Alley near the University.
Hey, CAPH, not just as a Fodorite but as a solo traveler! ;) |
Love this thread..
I have had paranormal experiences my whole life and they have all been good experiences but it is still creepy when you see a ghost or one touches you or messes with you.. When I go to Hawaii, I always have something happen to me..I think the islands are one of the most haunted than any haunted house in the US.. My husband lived in a true haunted house in college and I have had wild experiences in Paris too.. I live in San Diego so I know the Hotel Del ghost but the Whaley House in Old Town is considered one of the most haunted in the country.. I get severe headaches immediately when there is spirit activity.. also, my body feels a weight on my chest too.. One time we were in a bar in Tempe, AZ called 9th & Ash and we heard someone say the place is haunted so we asked the cocktail server and she said it was way haunted upstairs where there is a dining room so we asked if we could go up and she gave us a tour..mind you we were on our first drink.. she left us up there by ourselves and I was talking to the room and asking for some sort of movement and right after that it got really cold and this entity walked right through me and levitated me about an inch of the ground and my husband stood up and it walked through him too and he was about an inch of the ground.. we slammed our drinks so fast and ran down the stairs, shaking and went straighth to the bartender and ordered 2 shots and still can't believe the experience we had!!! |
Our only experience was in England, at Beaulieu (pron. Bewley), where there are the remains of a once huge abbey and church. There were motorcycle races going on in the adjacent grounds of the motor museum, and we were walking in the cloister. All of a sudden there was the sensation of a huge bell jar's being dropped over us--all the noise went away, and we heard the sound of faint chanting. This went on for a good two minutes, after which the bell jar lifted and all the noise came back.
We later learned that the abbey is known for being haunted by the monks who were driven from it in the time of Henry VIII. |
this post is REALLY interesting. thanks for starting it caph!! i don't know why i thought you were a male -- but am delighted to hear you're a mom.
omg, tahititams. lordbalfor, you told us the places but not the stories. come on..... melissa, i would love to know more about your unique gifts and the paranormal aspects of HI culture because i didn't know that about HI. i believe, like mooselywild's story, it all begins with an eery feeling, where if you trust your instincts, it makes you receptive to whatever it is present. things escalate when you appear to a slip into "another time" and past events replay or echo through the ethers....like underhill's story. when you actually see, not just hear, something paranormal, like margot's amazing story, i believe that you've let yourself "in" somehow, and if you want, can have an experience like tamifor's. |
I stayed a Guenoc Winery about 6 years ago and though it is haunted with Lilly Langtree's ghost, I felt a male presence ( seemed like he was not happy I was there). The next day when we talked about it with the owner, he said it was Lillys boyfriend who was there and only once in a while makes his presence known.
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Oh boy, this will make people think I am a weirdo. The first time I had a paranormal experience was the night before I gave birth to our first daughter. It had been a scary pregnancy fraught with trips to the ER, laying in bed a lot, worrying about miscarriage and then premature birth. I was being induced (mostly because no one could take the worrying anymore!) and was very worried myself. It was taking forever and we were on the 2nd day. The DR. said that the next day he was going to break my water and either naturally or through cesarian I would have a baby by dinner. This was about a week after Thanksgiving on a Friday evening. My grandmother had passed away the Friday after Thanksgiving 3 years previous and I knew the baby was a girl and we were planning on naming her after my grandma. Now, if this was paranormal or just my psyche trying to calm me down, I had a dream the night before my daughter was born that my grandma came to visit me. I was crying and told her how worried I was about the birth, etc. My grandma handed me a baby swaddled in a blanket and showed me how beautiful she was and that she was very healthy. She spoke to me and told me to be brave and calm. The next day would be long and stressful, but the outcome would be great. She was right. My father passed away 5 1/2 years ago and he visits every now and then to give me advice and counsel. This drives my mother insane as she has never seen him and he doesn't appear to her. I believe in spirits, I too had a near death experience. But, instead of dying my father and grandmother told me this was not yet my time, I needed to go back and they promised to come for me when it was my time. In Gettysburg 3 years ago, I felt the spirits of several infantrymen on both Union and Confederate lines. In Paris, I dreamed about a young girl who had starved to death in the late 1800's. Luckily, my paranormal experiences have all been good and comforting.
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Yikes, aliska. Nothing so dramatic but I was staying in a rented house on Nantucket and definitely there was a playful male ghost in the house. I would be getting dressed and suddenly the window shades would go up and start spinning around. Lights would get turned on in the middle of the night. One night, friends (a couple) were sleeping in the room next door. The man got up to go to the john and his wife felt him get back into bed next to her, but when she turned over to talk to him, he wasn't there!
I always felt guilty b/c I lied to the prospective onwners. The house was up for sale and the prospective owners came with their engineer to do an inspection. They asked us if we had experienced any ghosts and we said no not wanting to put them off. I saw the documentary "The Ghosts of Grey Gardens" on PBS the other night. http://www.ghostsofgreygardens.com/ They interviewed Ben Bradley and Sally Quinn who bought the house. Sally Quinn mentioned ghosts in the house. |
This is kind of silly, but a true story! A few years ago we stayed at the Princess Kaiulani in Waikiki with another couple. There was a problem with our rooms on arrival, and the management put us in the 2 bedroom penthouse. We did a bit of unpacking and went out. When we got back from going out to dinner, both my friend and I stopped in the entry and commented that it "felt" like someone was in the room (but they weren't)...weird because we both felt this & actually commented on it. When I went into our bedroom, a pair of unfamiliar boxers were on the chair, "set out" as if they were put out for someone to wear. They were not my husband's and, in fact, belonged to one of the friends we were with. He was VERY embarassed & couldn't figure out how they had gotten to our room. We called down to the front desk, and a manager came up to talk to us. She was very concerned, but assured us that no one had entered the rooom in our absence. She was certain of this because management could track entry with the key card, and she was positive that no housekeeping or maintenance staff had been there. We jokingly asked if there could be a ghost in the hotel, and she became somewhat flustered and said, "Oh, there are some stories, but I don't believe any of it!" We walked around exploring the floor we were on, and noticed many sepia photos of Princess Kaiulani. The next morning we talked to a couple different hotel staff...both had numerous stories about the hotel, and assured us that is was definitely haunted. Apparently it was built on the property of the old palace, and Princess Kaiulani was known to spend much time in the gardens, hence, the name of the hotel. Hmmm....
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This is fun !
If there are ghosts, I hope I get to see one ... I kinda like that scared fun feeling of What is that noise? Is it a ghost? I prefer to think of ghosts as not malevolent or unhappy but perhaps watching over us. corwin, I SO agree , that is a lovely idea, to think that there will be someone there , waiting to take us along on the next step :) Kon bon wa Melissa! :) |
LOL, I just went back and read the Ghost thread that Melissa linked here...laclaires answer to AnthonyGa regarding ghosts was hilairous!
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To quote Bertrand Russell: "I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego shall survive." There's no verifiable evidence of the existence of an afterlife, or of ghosts.
OK, I'm being a wet blanket, and to tell the truth I like a good ghost story as much as the next man - try the beautifully creepy "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary" by M. R. James. But that's a temporary suspension of disbelief thing, and otherwise we may as well face facts. |
Hi there, wet blanket, er, Neil! :D
When will you be coming to Oregon? |
aloha scarlett!
mclaurie, that would never happen here...we are required to disclose night marchers, or if someone died in the home (if you know) in real estate. not that ghosts are so common, but as I say, it is the culture here. corwin, I actually have a very low vibration compared to others, like my friend's nephew! I used to be a banquet waitress at the Hawaiian Regent, and the ballrooms are said to be haunted. one of my friends could actually see one of the people in there! not me...but one night as I was setting the butter plates out before a function, 'someone' whacked my elbow from behind and sent my butter tray flying. I was the only one in the ballroom at the time! hoo boy. |
This is for MelissaHI..
Aloha, I have a friend who is from Oahu and she said that Hwy 1 is so haunted that when they travel that road that they bring food and other offerings.. I have heard of wild tales and wanted to see if you had any stories? Also, the night marchers is scary and I have spoken to people that their parents or friends have experienced and it is something they say is so unbelievable but true... I went to the Ritz in Maui and I felt the cold spots at the pool and the weird vibe.. I never heard of these stories until I went to the Hawaiian Islands and there is a mystical tone that you cannot explain but it is there.. I really am somewhat normal..;) |
Tahititams: Well, not H-1. it was the OLD Pali Road, decades and decades ago. It wasn't food offerings, but if you had pork in your car it was very likely your car would stall on that road. If that happened, you'd throw your pork out the window and you could go on your way. But this road is no longer used as a main passageway, for at least 40 to 50 years. (Before I was born, at least!)
If you can, pick up a copy of any of Glen Grant's books on obakes or "chicken skin tales" on amazon.com and you will read about some of the most common occurences here in the islands. Here's a tip that I got from a ghostbuster though: If you feel something, start thinking positive thoughts. Think about how much you love your family. think about good times. For some reason, positive energy, feelings, and thoughts makes spirits shy away. |
Hi MelissaHI - Not counting a number of photos taken in Hawaii that obviously have "spirits" in them, (and I'm not talking about okolehau) three places I lived in on Oahu had ghosts. Once in a Kahala apartment I felt a definite hand placed on my shoulder when I was depressed. In an apartment on Pensacola Street quite near the Pensacola Fire Station, I experienced the infamous pressing ghost 2 or 3 times (and there was also the sound of scratching on my bedroom wall a few times as well...). It was only after I took Glen Grant's ghost tour of old Honolulu around 1992 that I realized what had happened to me. That was NOT pleasant. Oh, and a house I lived in on University Ave used to have a ghost who walked up and down the stairs at all times of the day or night. Used to open and slam the front door, too.
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I forgot something - years ago, before the Maritime Museum existed, the Falls of Clyde was docked close to the Oceania Floating restaurant (where I worked). I remember visiting the ship and speaking to the caretaker, who told a story about a woman visitor who'd seen someone she thought was a guide in costume below deck. That was until he walked into a post, split in two and disappeared. She even wrote to them about it for their files, but that was around 1975, so I assume that letter is long gone.
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drat. I wish I could somehow find that file on the ghost of the Falls of Clyde. I told Bob Krauss of the Advertiser about it and he got very excited! He loves promoting Honolulu's maritime history and adding a ghost to the mix would be fantastic!
ah, the pressing ghost. You know those are near fire stations, right? Also, Kahala, being near the water, is the site of many (I think) battles and burials. My friend's family & I experienced a fun, kind of rascal teenage Hawaiian girl ghost at their Kahala home over a period of time. I guess she felt like she was part of the family? The only person who ever actually saw her was my friend's stepbrother. The rest of us just felt her--bouncing on the bed next to Max while he played his guitar, or waking me up every night at 2:30, stuff like that. Well, my friend's nephew in Kona was right. his grandmother passed away last night, right on (his) schedule. The great thing was, before she passed, she mentioned that she was seeing all these friends and family that had already passed on. They were greeting her and shaking her hand, I guess sort of pre-welcoming her to heaven so she'd feel comfortable doing it. What a wonderful and cheerful way to go! Anyway....sorry, CAPH, I know this was supposed to be "travel and the paranormal," not "paranormal at home." ha! |
I was so surprised to come home and find this thread in the top 50! Some great stories, guys! I enjoyed them all. But I was especially touched by your post, aliska. What a wonderful story about your dream of your grandmother!
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Great thread CAPH52!!
Hey MelissaHI.. It is the highway that was completed about 10 years ago..maybe I got the wrong freeway but she did mention that if they had Pork in the car, the car would be ok but if they didn't the new car would act up and stall and they would have to call friends to bring some Pork and some other stuff and then the car would start up.. A good friend of ours lived in Condo Tower in Oahu and she said that one day above her head in her living room it starting raining from a mini cloud! Not from the roof and when she told me this story she was in her 70's and she said all kinds of weird stuff happened to her in that Condo.. I will be staying at the Royal Hawaiian in September and I have heard some stories that exist there.. Mahalo |
I guess someone reading this thread might come to the conclusion that Hawaii is full of ghosts - not that I could dispute that.
I and various other members of my family have experienced different things in my parents' home - actually, I don't like to think about it too much because it creeps me out. Melissa - I was also told about the thinking good thoughts when you "feel" something - and yes, it does seem to work. |
Hi chepar! I was starting to think that, too....sorry! Truth be told, all the ghost stories I've heard make it sound like most ghosts here lead a very mundane existence. Go to work, go home. Go to work, go home. Not much to it.
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