"Fred's" House

I've commented on TAPS & Most Haunted TV "spook" shows; now it's now time to review "Dead Tenants", which is shown on The Learning Channel. I was actually able to investigate a "haunted house" after THEY had done THEIR investigation..........

In October 2005, I was contacted by "Fred", who owns a house in Central NJ. He had an interesting story to tell. It seems that his house was haunted -- he was particularly unnerved by "something invisible" that jumped on his chest at night "and tried to choke him". He also related that a 3 year-old baby died of cancer in the house before he bought it.

He had had a "ghost team" (the "Preternatual Society" ; "PRS" for short) along with mediums (who tried various occult means) to rid the house of the ghost. Also, 2 Roman Catholic exorcisms were performed, but the phenomena continued..........

Jean (my Wife) & I arrived there on a Saturday night in November, along with our equipment.

The PRS mediums determined that the "residing place" of the spirit was in the water in the sump pump (!). I wanted to check THAT area out first. As we were headed toward it, we passed thru a certain spot in the basement, and i felt the hair on my head "tingle" and mentioned to "Fred" that this area (by one of the columns) was a psychic "hot spot". He was surprised and told me that that's what PRS & the mediums had told him!

I set up a digital tape recorder by the sump pump, the "Gate of Hell" (as one psychic put it), turned out all the lights, and meditated for quite awhile (this stuff doesn't scare me). I "saw" in my "mind's eye" an old, wrinkled man, and also got a a name. I mentioned this to Fred, who again was surprised because that's what the group had told him. (He had not told me any of this beforehand). The EVP, which ran for an hour, didn't pick up anything........

After going from room-to-room, taking tons of photos (see previous page), and mentally tried to communicate with the spirit, i determined that it was the old man who was doing the "haunting". Again, the previous group had determined this also.

When i had picked up the old man's "vibes" for awhile, i next performed a Wiccan Banishing ritual, which was quite complex. (As you probably know, I've been a practicing Witch for over 21 years, so i'm quite suited for "ghost hunting)!

It involved going around the house with the 4 Elements, Casting a Protective Circle, Calling the Elemental Quarters, etc...... it's too complicated to explain here. Lastly, i went around the house with sage, and smudged the entire house, urging the "being" to leave the family alone and to "move on" into the Light, where his friends are......

Three weeks later, i got an email from him:

"Things are quiet at the house! No thumping at night, foul smells, or anything else I can think of. I have been looking out for signs too, so far everything is normal. Its kind of ...a lighter atmosphere in the home".

SUCCESS !

While i was at the house, "Fred" gave me a videotape of the "Dead Tenants" show that was filmed at his house, HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!! What a bunch of BS! (Here we go, folks!).

First of all, "Fred" is a VERY psychic individual, and was under a LOT of stress; i personally think THIS was the cause of most of the phenomena. The house DOES have spirits in it, but his "abilities" gave 'em a "boost". And, to me, the most haunted part of the house is the basement; not his bedroom.

I'm also not ruling out "Sleep Paralysis" as an explanation. Many people TALK about it, but very few really know what it is. The following is a bit long, but is worth it if you're studying/investigating this sort of phenomena:

Sleep Paralysis - The Scientific Explanation...

The medical establishment is quite aware of this phenomenon, but has a less sensational name than "old hag syndrome" for it. They call it "sleep paralysis" or SP (sometimes ISP for "isolated sleep paralysis").

So what causes it? Dr. Max Hirshkowitz, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston, says that sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is in the transition state between deep, dreaming sleep (known as REM sleep for its rapid eye movement) and waking up. During REM dreaming sleep, the brain has turned off most of the body's muscle function so we cannot act out our dreams - we are temporarily paralyzed.

"Sometimes your brain doesn't fully switch off those dreams - or the paralysis - when you wake up," Hirshkowitz told ABC News. "That would explain the 'frozen' feeling and hallucinations associated with sleep paralysis." According to his research, the effect only really lasts from a few seconds to as long as a minute, but in this half-dream half-awake state, to the victim it can seem much longer.

In her article, "Help! I Can't Move!," Florence Cardinal, About.com's Guide Sleep Disorders, writes: "Sleep paralysis is often accompanied by vivid hallucinations. There may be a sense someone is in the room, or even hovering over you. At other times, there seems to be pressure on the chest, as though someone or something perched there. There may even be sexual attacks associated with the hallucinations. The sound of footsteps, doors opening and closing, voices, all can be a very frightening part of sleep paralysis. These are known as Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic Experiences and they are what make people dread an episode of sleep paralysis." (Sounds like some reported "ghostly phenomena" -- Norm).

- For all their explanations, however, the sleep experts still do not know what causes the brain to screw up like this, or why some people experience it more than others. But there are some theories:

- "Episodes of paralysis can occur when the body is in any position, but happen most frequently when the sleeper is lying flat on his or her back. Intense fear is common, but sometimes other strong emotions, such as sadness or anger, are present," says Florence Cardinal in "The Terror of Sleep Paralysis."

- For some, SP is often brought about by not getting enough sleep or being overtired.

- Likewise, disrupted sleep schedules or circadian rhythm disturbances can produce an episode of sleep paralysis.

- It is more common in people who suffer from severe anxiety or bipolar disorder.

- Some research shows that SP is five times more likely to occur with people who are taking such anti-anxiety drugs as Xamax or Valium.

- A study found that 35 percent of subjects with isolated sleep paralysis also report a history of wake panic attacks unrelated to the experience of paralysis.

How can you prevent sleep paralysis? According to clinical research, you may be able to minimize the episodes by following good sleep hygiene:

- get enough sleep
- reduce stress
- exercise regularly (but not too close to bedtime)
- keep a regular sleep schedule

"For some people this may not be possible, however," says Florence Cardinal, "so instead let's look at ways to escape from the grip of sleep paralysis. The best remedy is to will yourself to move, even if it's only the wiggling of your little finger. This is often sufficient to break the spell. If you can manage it, scream! Your roommate may not appreciate it, but it's better than suffering through a long and fear-filled episode. If all else fails, seek professional help.

"Sounds like good advice. The bottom line is that you really have nothing to fear, in a paranormal sense, from sleep paralysis. That old hag you feel perched on your chest may be nothing more than the anxiety of living in a stressful world.

Please note the part that reads "There may be a sense someone is in the room, or even hovering over you. At other times, there seems to be pressure on the chest, as though someone or something perched there. The sound of footsteps, doors opening and closing, voices, all can be a very frightening part of sleep paralysis"....

Now, i'm not saying that that's what's going on HERE, but it MAY be an explanation. (But, as i mentioned, there is at least ONE ghost in the house).

Now, on to the grossly distorted fiction of "Dead Tenants". The Preternatural Society (PRS) arrived with their impressive amount of equipment & psychics. The psychics started coming up with things like a "demon is perched in a corner of your dining room, watching you.....", "your entities are coming from the sump pump area. They are feeding themselves on the water.....this is the "Gate of Hell"! (Methinks that someone has an over-active imagination!). Granted, some of their "information", imho, WAS accurate, as i got the same info myself. (But they really didn't have to "get overly dramatic" for the cameras).

According to one psychic, "This is not a bed....this is a grave.....THIS IS A GRAVE! This room (the bedroom) is the end of their marriage"....

At this point, let me make it clear that, imho, the PRS was doing a great job & a professional one. My one-and-only complaint against THEM that one of the psychics (especially) was getting a bit "spooky".

When i met Fred and his Wife, they seemed like a well-balanced, intelligent pair, more tired & disgusted by the phenomena that anything else. (Don't forget - this is while the phenomena was going "full tilt"; the effects of the investigating team lasted for only a little while). They didn't seem to be frightened at all; just concerned for the safety of their children.

They were both dismayed (and a bit annoyed) by the way that "Dead Tenants" had portrayed them & their home. (Again, this was not so much the PRS, but the way the program was edited by TLC & the Discovery channel).

All during the program, the psychics kept repeating that Fred "was about to lose it", seemingly painting him as a psychotic who was about to "go over the edge at any moment"!

At one point (the show claimed) "Fred stormed out of the house.........he will not come home"! This is a complete and utter LIE. In an email that i got from Fred, he said that

"I did not storm out of my home as the show depicted. The camera shot me as I was going to a fire call (I drive a fire truck) to serve the community that I live in".

During the time he was gone on on his fire call, the psychics (with their - shall we say - "somewhat overactive imaginations") with the (above) talk of "demons, and long-leggedy beasties" reduced Kathleen to tears. Again, Fred himself told me

"I didn't spend just one night in my house because the camera crew felt I was in the way. The stress during this time was due to the many strangers filming my home and delving into my private life".

THAT is the reason that "Fred didn't want anything else to do with the filming", not because of the ghosts, as the show leads you to believe.

The seance, imho, was deliberately "spiced up" by the use of clever editing, making it sound that Fred was on a "cussing rampage" (by repeating the same clip over & over), camera work, and things suggested by PRS & the psychics. The whole thing was overly dramatic (to the point of being ridiculous); it would have done Hollywood PROUD!...........

One rather "lame excuse" made by the "Learning Channel" people is that they have to "edit down over 50 hours of videotape to make a 1 hour program". That may be so, but that doesn't mean that you have to DISTORT events! After what i saw on the program, versus the FACTS of the situ, i don't know if i can EVER believe anything i ever see on "DT".

Fred:

"I guess you can imagine how we felt watching it. TLCs editing was the worst part and PRS for telling me that it is a 'documentary', then twisting their story to sell the show.....To sum up: I personally think that PRS & the psychics are sincere but, consciously or unconsciously, they went a "bit overboard", possibly because of the cameras present. I give them credit for a good (but a tad "over the top") job. My biggest complaint is with The "Learning" Channel and those responsible for editing the show. It's a shame that they deliberately distorted facts and "spiced it up for the viewers" in order to get ratings. Now, this is only MY opinion, but I'm surprised that the PRS & psychics have anything to do with TLC! If *I* was any of those people, i'd be ashamed at the way it was presented, and would have nothing more to do with them. You CAN help people without all the publicity and hype. In closing, i'll give Fred the last word: "I regret agreeing to this show because I had no idea that it would take on its own story line, be that poor of quality, and such a work of fiction".