6thSensitive

oh yeah ...

2010-09-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

And a pic just in case!

SPOOKED .... and me!

2010-09-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ok so I may not have been updating this much but I have been busy .... check me out in this project!

Spooked is an Irish reality style documentary where six carefully selected young people are placed in a "haunted" house for the weekend. There they discover if the house is truly haunted or not. Will the sceptics remain sceptic when they stay in this haunted location? A psychologist will feature in the programme and will assess the participants over the weekend. There will also be a number of paranormal investigators and a medium involved, to help tell the ghostly stories of the house or the location. This is a light hearted documentary on how the mind works and responds to suggestion.

Now here is the promo .... I'm the handsome guy with the glasses standing behind the chair @ 0.05!

Episodes: 1 - Tuesday 5th October, 10.00pm RTÉ TWO

SYWBAGH comes to Dublin!

2010-08-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

This is a unique field investigation training day for those who want to be a Ghost hunter. This popular fully interactive course is run jointly by Dr. Ciarán O’Keeffe and Steve Parsons and draws upon their unique combination of skills to provide the perfect foundation for anyone who is interested in developing their ghost hunting. Beginners and experienced investigators alike have benefitted from So You Wanna Be A Ghost Hunter.
To be part of this please join the Facebook Page. Tickets cost €100. Limited to 30 places.

Dublin Paranormal Convention 2010

2010-08-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Dublin Paranormal Convention is Ireland’s largest event for those with an interest in ghosts, hauntings, ufology, the unexplained, psychic phenomenon, spirituality, mediumship, cryptozoology, paranormal investigation and much much more! Details of the 3rd Dublin Paranormal Convention are coming thick and fast now! ParaCon will take place on Saturday the 6th November 2010 at the National Leprechaun Museum (you heard right!) on Jervis Street!

Heres the Line up of speakers:

STEVE PARSONS
Talk: Orbs Or A Load of Balls?
Steve Parsons is considered by leading Parapsychologists & peers as perhaps the UK's foremost Psychical Researcher and Investigator. With his background in Physical Science & Medicine he has been uniquely placed to pioneer and develop new methods in modern ghost hunting techniques. Co founder of Para.Science, Steve has contributed to many TV & Radio shows including a number of documentaries for the Discovery Channel & National Geographic. He was also for a time the paranormal investigator on Most Haunted.

Dr. CAIRAN O'KEEFFE
Talk: Psychic Criminology
Ciarán O'Keeffe is a British parapsychologist and member of the Society for Psychical Research and a consultant of the Ghost Club. He is best known for his appearances on Living TV's paranormal television series Most Haunted and Jane Goldman Investigates where he performs the role of parapsychologist and paranormal investigator. He also featured in National Geographic Channel's 2005 series Paranormal?. He is an open-minded skeptic on most paranormal phenomena.

RICHARD JONES
Talk: Jack the Ripper

DAVID M. KIELY
Talk: The Dark Sacrament: Exorcism in Modern Ireland
David Kiely was born in Dublin in 1949. He travelled extensively before settling in Northern Ireland and marrying fellow-author Christina McKenna. The co-authored "The Dark Sacrament: Exorcism in Modern Ireland" in 2006. HarperOne, San Francisco, subsequently did two American editions. David has an abiding interest in the paranormal. This was sparked when, aged 17, he had the first of many out-of-body experiences. He went on the study magic, joining a circle in Amsterdam, where he completed a Dutch translation of "The Book of the Law", supposedly transmitted by the angel Aiwass. He has recently finished a time-travel adventure set in New York and is presently working on his retelling of the legend of Faust, the medieval doctor who sold his soul to the Devil.

PAUL O'CONNOR
Talk: Remote Viewing

Coco TV to produce Paranormal RTE show!

2010-07-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Applicants are being sought (must be over 18) for RTE2 show. Heres an article from todays Herald:
A Dublin-based production company wants paranormal believers and non-believers to sign up for the show called Spooked. A pilot programme due to be broadcast on RTE2 next October will offer six applicants the chance to spend the weekend in a haunted house.

But the makers are remaining tight-lipped about where exactly the ghostly production will be filmed. "I can't reveal where it is going to be yet -- not even the county -- as we really want to keep the mystery," said a spokeswoman for Coco Television.

"We're only at the pre-production stage so it's very early to give many details. "I can say that we'll have paranormal investigatory in the house with them and the six chosen applicants will be doing experiments and tasks."

Thrill-seeking candidates expressed their interest for the upcoming show as soon as details were released by the production house. "The response is looking good so far. People are clearly interested in this new type of show," the spokeswoman said.

"We contacted Movie Extras with details of Spooked on Wednesday night and we'd already received quite a few applications by Thursday morning. "We want to get a broad range of people and hear from anyone who will be interested before choosing who will get through. "Believers, non-believers, those sitting on the fence ... It will be exciting for anyone who gets through."

Coco Television is hoping to have Spooked candidates accompanied by a medium, who would be able to assist them -- or convince the most sceptical. "It's very early days -- nothing is set in stone but we're thinking about having medium there who will be able to tell us more about the house and any paranormal activity going on."

Applicants must be 18 years old or above as the project may be upsetting for younger people. The production team will make sure to have help on hand should successful candidates feel troubled once they get on the site.

"We will make sure that there is a psychologist at hand to counsel the people who get in, to make sure it all goes smoothly", the spokeswoman said. The lucky chosen few will be briefed before they get into the house to ensure that they do not bring anything harmful to the set.

Hopefuls must tell why they should be picked to go into the haunted house ahead of other candidates on camera. They must also answer a series of questions regarding their fears and scary experiences that will determine their suitability for the show.

www.paranormal.ie

Bound

2010-04-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

So when people in "the biz" talk about spirts they talk about all sorts, not least of which are Earthbound Spirits". Usually they speak of unfinished business or a strong connection which the deceased is reluctant to to break.

The idea of a ghost being bound to this world as a form of punishment may seem very outdated but recent discussions about Tuatha de Danann (Irish Otherworld beings, Sí or Fairies) brought up some elements of mythology about Iron that had us joining dots.

(..... I need sleep so I'll come back and edit in more to this!)

Missing in Action!

2010-03-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah I know I've sort of abandoned things here for a while now but in my defense I've been looking for a job for a year now and real life has been a major hassle!

But all thats changed now that I have a job that, while the hours and pay suck, suits me really well. I get to talk to visitors all day about folklore and mythology so you could say I'm in much better mood of late. Despite being exhausted.

So being Irish and interested in folklore I'm never stuck for things to interest me but I've had the chance to talk to a lot of people from other countries this week and have been asking them if they have any characters similar to the Irish Leprechaun. So far my favourites have to be saci-pererê from Brazil and the tokolosh from South Africa.

They are what I'm gonna blog about next ... after I grab some food and do some house work!

Slán

Doppelgangery!

2010-02-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

Lets get something clear straight off, if you see yourself and you’re not looking in a mirror …… its a bad thing! For most people a Doppelganger is simply a look-alike but what people fail to grasp is that these “double goers” are harbingers of misfortune and even death!

There are reports from all over the world of people seeing their double (or one of a friend/family member). Some of these are taken as accounts of bi-location where the person is in two places at once, often completely unaware. Then there are cases of crisis apparitions where, in times of mortal peril, a living loved one appears bringing with them a sense of calm.

Traditionally only the person can see their double, which is said to be a sign of impending death but in cases of it being seen by a friend or family member it means danger and bad luck will follow.

But lets be honest, its the darker side of this phenomenon that we’re interested in, right? Stories that practitioners of the dark arts would purposely create spectral versions of themselves, with the ability to act independently, to carry out unspeakable tasks. Its this “intelligence” that scares me the most, a manifestation of our darker side who, in some cultures is set on bringing out our untimely death so that they can step into our shoes. They haunt their flesh counterpart, pushing them to the edge of sanity. Often taunting them until there is only one way out. Edgar Allan Poe’s William Wilson, in an attempted to rid himself of his Doppelganger, stabbed himself to death.

The English poet Percy Bysshe Sheely once saw his Doppelganger in Italy. The ghostly double gestured towards the sea. Shortly after this in 1822 Shelly died in a sailing accident in the Mediterranean. Similarly prior to the death of Queen Elizabeth I she reported seeing her double laid out on her bed.

Without using the term Doppelganger the phenomenon is still referenced in modern culture. My most recent glimpse of this was in the hit show LOST where we see a yet unidentified evil taking on the form of the character John Lock in an attempt to mislead and bring about the downfall of the shows mysterious Jacob.

So what is the correct response to seeing your double? Beheading could lead you to legal problems if it turns out to just be someone who looks like you. But with how we are as people now the response would probably to pose in a photo with them and upload it to facebook!

If you have seen your double, a darker version of yourself which haunts you to the point of distraction then just make sure you submit your encounters to http://www.paranormal.ie

Paranormal.ie gets its belly rubbed!

2010-01-27T03:20:00.000-08:00

Paranormal.ie has been a little project I've been working on with big hopes. So for the last week I've been giving it so much needed attention. Yeah there are tweaks to made but I'm happy with it. Very happy.

We've lots of group sites in Ireland but I wanted to make a central reference site for all things Paranormal in Ireland. It contains a catalogue of hauntings from around the country listed by Province (Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster). There is a Submissions page for people to send me their own experiences or stories from their area to get added to the list.

People visiting Psychics, Mediums and Readers of all discription is fairly common in Ireland but a big problem is getting contact details for well known Psychics. After years of looking at people requesting the same phone numbers over and over again on message boards I thought it was time to build a directory. So thats what I'm doing. Am I endorsing these people? No. I'm outting out information that people are looking for.

I've included weekly Horoscopes on the front page.

Catalogue of Hauntings in Ireland.

As a designer its important for me that the site looks good too. I think it does but am always looking for feedback.

Tudor Ghost shakes his booty?

2010-01-27T02:41:00.000-08:00

So Andrew Kitt (a photographer from Norwich) was out taking hots at Cinema City in Norwich and noticed something in one of the photos. Below is the picture containing a shadow which Kitt believes looks like a hunched figure in Tudor-style dress. 'The hairs on the back of my neck went up when I first saw it. I’m keeping an open mind. I’m not saying it’s a ghost or anything, but it is certainly strange, it is not a hoax and the photograph has not been tampered with.' says Kitt.

Bar and restaurant manager Steven Smith said: ‘One of the projectionists was closing down one night and heard a whisper in one of the cinemas. It just said “Get out!” so he did, as fast as he could run. I’m here early in the morning but I’ve never come across anything eerie myself.'

Now I'm ok with the story, he's a trained photographer and as he says he's not claiming its a ghost. My problem is the bit about Tudor-style dress ..... ok when someone says it to you you can sort of see it (cos you're looking for it) but its a detail that just doesnt need to be added ..... unless you're trying to make it seem more "ghostly"?

Its like an inkblot test. Just have a look at the two angry old men arguing below.

Poltergeist Hoax: How I think it was faked

2010-01-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

I was shown this video and told it was a fake. I dont doubt for a second that its fake but I've seen people try to figure it out and I have to laugh that they presume its edited video or the audio is tampered with.

Heres how I think he did it: He has a guy behind the door. As he walks around closing the doors the other guy opens them again. Notice as he leaves the room he points the camera down so you dont see anything. Guy goes behind the door again. Simple.

On a side note ..... that guy needs to get to the shops! Also whats with all the empty 2lt milk containers on the counter? Lastly, fcuk the kitchen did you see the mess the poltergeist made of his sitting room?!

Happy Christmas!

2009-12-24T03:45:00.000-08:00

... or Holidays .. or whatever it is you're into at this time of year.

BIGFOOT: The Return ......

2009-12-14T01:37:00.000-08:00

Ok so its probably just a redneck returning to his trailer after a Halloween party.

A northern Minnesota man thinks he may have photographed Bigfoot with a motion-activated trail camera. Some are impressed by the photo, while others are less enthusiastic that it depicts a real Bigfoot.

Kim Kedrowski told the Bemidji Pioneer Press that he captured the image of what looks like a tall, upright, possibly hairy creature sauntering along a trail that winds through his hunting land just north of the small town of Remer, Minnesota.

Kedrowski said the photo was captured at 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 24, which was an overcast, rainy day. He said they checked with neighbors and friends, and none of them said they had been in the area at the time of the photo.

To get some expert advice, Kedrowski contacted the Minnesota Bigfoot Web site and spoke with Don Sherman and Bob Olson of the Northern Minnesota Bigfoot Research Team. Sherman and Olson are not biologists, but are long-time amateur Bigfoot enthusiasts - and they think the photo may be the real deal.

Sherman visited the site of the photo, and based on a measurement of a sapling seen in the photo, the creature appears to be about 7 feet tall. Sherman said he has made plaster casts of Bigfoot imprints in this neck of the woods in the past, although he did not make any casts in connection with the Kedrowski photo.

Casey Kedrowski, Kim's brother, said that he and his brother were the only two people who knew where the camera was located. They think that the possibility of someone hoaxing them is remote. They also say that neither of them is pulling a fast one on the other.

What I find interesting about this image is the complete lack of orbs ... clearly rednecks in cheap halloween costumes are a very effective ghost deterrant.

Voodoo Spy!

2009-12-08T03:37:00.000-08:00

A British Army translator accused of spying for Iran was a voodoo priest who used black magic to protect the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan from the Taliban, a court heard.

Iranian-born Daniel James, 45, who was the personal interpreter to General David Richards, told the Old Bailey that he used pictures, dust, candles and seashells to cast spells protect his boss. He also said he did Tarot card readings for other personnel at the Allied HQ in Kabul to predict the future. James is alleged to have passed on secret information about Allied troop movements to the Iranians – who then passed it on to the Taliban. Giving evidence, James swore on the Bible but said he embraced all religions before telling the court how he converted to Voodoo while on his yearly trips to Cuba to research salsa in 2003. He claimed to be a priest who had recorded 10 Voodoo DVDs. James said: “I actually did black magic for General Richards praying to God to protect him from the Taliban. He explained: “Yoruba is the name of the religion. It is voodoo and black magic. I became the equivalent of a priest in the Church of England.” Corporal James told the court he ran salsa dance lessons from his Brighton club “Capital of Salsa” and dubbed himself “King of Salsa” before selling his businesses in 2005 just as he was called up to Afghanistan as a volunteer in the Territorial Army. As a dancer he regularly appeared on 1980s TV show ‘Solid Soul’ after an invitation by Jonathan Ross, who was then a television researcher, and he was a kick-boxing body builder who was one of Britain’s top three power lifters, the court heard. It is alleged James was a ‘Walter Mitty’ character who had “grandiose ideas about himself and his own self-importance”. He told the jury he agreed with allegations that when he translated for General Richards as he addressed a crowd of Afghan dignitaries he would sometimes act like a general. He said: “Well I think the audience did not understand General Richards. They were watching me and I thought I should act as a general because they are watching me. I was acting good and the public respected me.” Earlier the court heard from General Richards that often, as an quiet aside while on stage in front of an audience, he had to remind his corporal who in fact was the senior officer. James also told the court while out in Afghanistan he called himself General James after being promised promotion because his predecessor had the rank of acting Major. Before he had “could not have cared less” about his rank but was promised promotion to sergeant because it was thought to be more appropriate to his role as the general’s translator – although the promotion never materialised. It is alleged James “turned his back ” on his colleagues because he was “disenchanted” and “bitter” about the British Army because he thought it was racist for not promoting him and was a fantasist “Walter Mitty” character who revelled in the idea of being a spy. But a British Army Colonel known as ‘M’ who was Chief of Combined Intelligence told the court the implications of James’s betrayal was “extremely serious”. Assessing the alleged contact between James and an military assistant at the Iranian embassy in Kabul, he said the relationship was in its infancy but the potential damage was “immense” that could have driven a wedge between the British and its NATO allies. He said: “Information passed over time could help and assist a hostile state in its effort to conduct a tactical deployment that posed a threat to the lives of UK and NATO service personnel in Afghanistan and pose a similar threat to the interior national security of the UK.” James, of Cliff Road, Brighton, denies two breaches of the Official Secrets Act by collecting and passing on military secrets to a foreign power and wilful misconduct in public office. He was caught with two secret reports on NATO troop numbers and movements on a memory stick as he prepared to board an RAF plane back to Afghanistan along with pictures of RAF spy drones and a NATO aircraft manual, it was said. The trial continues.

MoD UFO Department Closes

2009-12-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

The MoD department, which has dealt with more than 12,000 reports – including 135 last year – was used to assess threats posed by any Unidentified Flying Objects sightings throughout Britain.

Any reports made would now not be investigated or followed up as the hotline had been closed, a spokesman said.

UFO experts expressed anger at the decision.

MoD chiefs made the decision to close the £50,000 a year department, established in 1950, after deciding there was no benefit investigating sightings which were “an inappropriate use of defence resources”.

It comes after the team was moved from the MoD’s team, similar to the FBI team featured in the TV programme the X Files, was moved a year ago from the Whitehall Headquarters to the RAF Command in High Wycombe, Bucks.

After an application under the Freedom of Information Act, the MoD admitted that responding to every UFO sightings “diverts MoD resources from tasks that are relevant to Defence”.

No decision was announced and the disclosure was instead buried on its website earlier this month.

It said that in more than 50 years “no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom”.

After investigation, around 5 per cent of reports remain unexplained.

“The MOD has no opinion on the existence or otherwise of extra-terrestrial life,” the spokesman said.

“The MOD has no specific capability for identifying the nature of such sightings.

“Accordingly, and in order to make best use of Defence resources, we have decided that from the 1 December 2009 the dedicated UFO hotline answer-phone service and e-mail address will be withdrawn.”

He added: “MOD will no longer respond to reported UFO sightings or investigate them.”

Nick Pope, who ran the Ministry of Defence UFO project from 1991 to 1994, said it was “outrageous”.

“We’re leaving ourselves wide open to terrorist attacks,” he told The Sun.

The spokesman said the programme to release departmental files on UFO matters to the National Archive would continue.

Peter Jackson's Close Encounter

2009-12-02T03:14:00.000-08:00

Seems that Sting has made it cool for celebs to come clean about their spectral sightings. Peter Jackson has outed himself as a believer telling Channel 4 about his experience with a ghostly woman with a screaming face.

In London for the premiere of The Lovely Bones – a film he has directed from Alice Sebold’s story in which a murdered teenage girl gives her viewpoint from heaven – Jackson said he did not know what a real soul was like.

But he told Britain’s Channel 4 TV that while he could not swear the spirit in the movie was 100 percent accurate, he had seen a real ghost.

“It was genuine,” said Jackson, who made a 1996 ghost movie, The Frighteners – co-written with his wife Fran Walsh – starring Michael J Fox.

His sighting was in an apartment he and his wife had in Wellington’s Courtney Place opposite the St James Theatre, when they first met 20 years ago.

“I woke up one morning and there was a figure in the room, she was very scary, she had a screaming face, very accusatory, she was a lady about 50 years old,” Jackson said.

“It was terrifying actually, a very scary image and she was at the end of the bed and she glided across the room and disappeared into the wall.

“I sat in bed and thought, have I really seen that?” said Jackson.

“Then Fran came in. I told her about it and the first thing she said was: ‘was it the woman with the screaming face?”‘ he said.

“Fran had seen the same woman in the same room about two years before.”

Jackson said that when the St James Theatre was being restored a few years ago, people talked about the legend of the woman who committed suicide after being booed off the stage after a bad show in vaudeville days.

“They say she manifests herself in the theatre with a screaming face. Sometimes she’s seen – the same ghost. She needs to learn to smile a little.”

So who'll be next to share?

Quick ... call the Police!

2009-11-20T01:18:00.000-08:00

Sting has claimed he once confronted a ghost which wandered into his room at the dead of night.

Sting said he also experienced flying objects and mysterious voices

The singer, who famously sang Spirits In The Material World in the 1980s, said wife Trudie Styler also witnessed the figure, standing with a child in the corner of their bedroom. Sting said he also experienced flying objects and mysterious voices in one of his homes in an interview to be played on Radio 2. He said: ''I would never have said I believe in ghosts, until I saw one - and I've seen a ghost with my own eyes.'' The musician, whose former band The Police recorded an album Ghost In The Machine, continued: ''I was in bed one night, a very old house I used to live in. And I woke up at three in the morning, bolt upright, looked into the corner of the room and thought I saw Trudie standing there with a child - our child - in her arms, staring at me. ''And I thought 'well, that's strange - why is she standing in a corner, staring at me?'. And I then reached next to me and there was Trudie, and I suddenly got this terrible chill. And she woke up and said 'Gosh, who is that?' and she saw this woman and a child in the corner of the room.'' Sting told presenter Claudia Winkleman, in an interview to be broadcast on Friday night at 10pm, that the figure simply disappeared. He added: ''A lot of things happened in that house, a lot of flying objects and voices and strange, strange things happened. ''When you live in old houses you get this energy there. Intellectually, no I don't believe in them (ghosts), but I've experienced them on an emotional level.''

2009-11-13T05:18:00.000-08:00

MOST HAUNTED WEEKEND 2009

20th - 22nd November 2009

Join Most Haunted's Richard Felix for a weekend to remember at Kinnitty Castle.

Prices starting at only €175pps including the following:

• 2 nights luxury accommodation in Kinnitty Castle Hotel with breakfast each morning
• Dinner both evenings in the Monks Kitchen situated in the Castle's Haunted Dungeons
• Traditional Music Session in Dungeon Bar
• Stories and chat with special guest Richard Felix
• Midnight Séance
• Tour of 3 of Ireland's Most Haunted Castles
• Overnight Paranormal Investigation of Kinnitty Castle
• Guided historical tour of the Slieve Bloom Mountains

Only €175pps
Limited Places
Call 057 913 37318 to book
Please Quote "Paranormal.ie"
Upgrade your room from only €10pps per night.

2009-10-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

All seems to be going well for the 2009 Dublin Paranormal Convention and with less than 3 weeks to go I really dont want any hiccups!

Cant say I regret moving into Dublin City Centre to the Radisson Blu Hotel either. Sure Clontarf had character but the Radisson isnt exactly lacking and the facilities are pretty impressive. Nice to know we wont have to worry about power points and internet connections.

New Footage: Irish Lake Monster!

2009-09-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

As you might know from my article over on the 6thSensitive.com I love all things Cryptozological! So can you imagine how excited I was to get an email from Ronan Coghlan letting me know about some amazing footage filmed in Killarney last week. I should be talking to him in the next couple of days but its pretty exciting stuff. Heres the video but make sure you watch it in full and listen to Jon Downes commentary:

I really hope I can get Ronan to come along to the Dublin Paranormal Convention and give people the chance to talk to this fasinating man about what coupld be the most important cryptid footage ever filmed in Ireland or the UK!

GhostHunting at Wicklow Gaol

2009-09-16T04:21:00.000-07:00

Ok as per the article in my last post I've got some exciting news!

The PIGs (Paranormal Investigation Guys) are taking over the running of the monthly Paranormal Investigations at the historic Wicklow Gaol. Here are some details and photos:

Wicklow Gaol: Friday, September 18, 2009 at 9:00pm
Wicklow Historic Gaol has been confirmed as one of the most Haunted locations in the Ireland verifying the testimonials of the Gaol’s staff and visitors who have experienced phenomena that defy logical explanation. This is a unique opportunity to stay after the doors have closed and the living have abandoned the Gaol. Join the Paranormal Investigation Guys (PIGs) as they take you through accounts of unexplained activity and learn what it takes to be a Paranormal Investigator. You will not be a spectator! This is not just a tour of one of Ireland's scariest locations, this is a genuine Paranormal Investigation.... and you will be taking part! Please note that all enquiries and bookings must be made through the Gaol directly at the details below.

Friday, September 18, 2009 at 9:00pm
Price: €50
Location: Wicklow Gaol City, Wicklow, Ireland
Phone: 040461599
Email: wicklowgaol@gmail.com

PIGs, Wicklow Gaol and The Star Newspaper

2009-09-16T04:13:00.001-07:00

Ok so I got my name in the paper again ... you'd swear I liked the attention! :-D

Genuine Apology

2009-09-11T03:52:00.000-07:00

Seems I made a pretty hefty fo0k up yesterday by accidentally sending out a mail to about 300 people. The problem being that the message went out using Cc, not that it should have gone out at all.

While migrating my emails to a new machine I managed to merge a large % of my contacts, both personal and professional, into a mega-mailing list. Even at that I wasnt meant to send it which is evident by the subject line which is months out of date.

I've understandably received some negative feedback for this and have issued apology emails. Some people will remain angry but I just wanted to take this chance to apologies to those here who may have received the mail and guarantee that this was a once off mistake which will not be repeated.

Sincerely,

Mark

Paranormal Investigations Vs GhostHunting

2009-08-31T04:39:00.000-07:00

Ok so some Paranormal Investigators are a bit snobby when it comes to being called a "GhostBuster" or "GhostHunter" ... not me though! Its usually the only reference some people have and they are just being curious.

That said I do distinguish between an Investigation and a GhostHunt:

Paranormal Investigation: For me this is when a group of people go to a location which has specific reports of activity. So you're investigation the (claims of) activity.

GhostHunt: This is usually where you decided to check out a place because it looks spooky or because there is a history to the place (i.e. a site of a battle etc). Sure theres no activity to investigate but it can be worthwhile. Its a good way to try out new ideas or procedures and at the end of the day if you walk away with nothing you can just write it off.

Anyway thats been in my head for a bit and a recent conversation about why people bother checking out places that have no reports of activity made me want to put it out there. Its not like I'm saying thats how they should be defined, thats just how it works for me.

Nowt as strange as folk ...

2009-06-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

So myself and fellow PIG, Niall, joined Michelle and Gail of Bumpz to check out a new location for investigations. The Folk Park was pretty amazing and the people working there really know their stuff. Anyway apart from looking looking right some of the buildings had more to them than just a spooky atmosphere. I cant wait to get in and really check it out.

Meditation

2009-06-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

Its not something I do nearly as much as I like but I tried out a new CD last night and it was great!
Going Home - The Reunion CD is by Tom Coltan, a great guy and President of the Spiritualist Union of Ireland. Here's what he says about it:

This meditation will take you higher and higher into the spirit realm, where you will meet one of your loved ones and spend some time talking and catching up with them. It will raise your energy connection and vibration that allows us to communicate with spirit and bring you into a space of calm, a space of peace, a space of knowing and a space of being.

I'm used to giving guided meditations and can get stuck in my own way of doing things. Handing myself over to this was easy and I felt so good after it. Of course I followed it up with a midnight screening of Transformers 2 but I genuinely believe my relaxed state and heightened awareness made the movie even better :-)

You can get the CD from Tom's site Grá agus Solas.

Paranormal.ie - Updated

2009-06-16T08:07:00.001-07:00

I updated Paranormal.ie with an article on Ouija Boards plus a few other bits an pieces. Enjoy.

Where or Who would you haunt?

2009-06-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

So you're dead, and whatever way these things work you get to choose one person or place to haunt .... where/who?

I suspect alot of guys will say a women's changing room because well ... men are predicable!

For me though I'd want somewhere with a decent amount of human traffic, somewhere that isn't gonna be knocked down anytime soon or get abandoned.

So I'd go with Merchants Arch in Temple Bar, Dublin.

I wouldnt choose to haunt a person because when they die I'd have alot of explaining to do.

Sunday = Church

2009-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was never really a church goer except for when our parents made us go. That said I'm obviously a spiritual person despite not being a traditional catholic (I'm Irish remember).

Something changed recently though ... Ireland finally got a Spiritualist Church thanks to the Spiritualist Union of Ireland!

I have to say I've enjoyed it and am off there again tonight. I can't make it every week because its not easy with 2 young kids but I genuinely feel its making a difference to me. At the very least its a chance to meet up with friends I dont normally get to see on a regular basis.

Anyway I'll see how it goes later and let you know how it went.

*I made the logo based on a drawing by Rob Wright.

2009-06-14T02:19:00.001-07:00

Ok so on iRadio tonight they are talking about the paranormal with Michelle from Bumpz in the Nite, Danny from Leinster Paranormal and Mark from PIGs (thats me ;)).

You can listen in live HERE.

Show starts at 10pm.

Friday Stars!

2009-04-24T01:16:00.001-07:00

Ok so from todays Metro:

I've highlighted my own but left the rest in case anyone whats a read of their own. I like the sound of mine, times are stressful and a giggle would be a tonic right now.

Please dont stalk me ....

2009-04-07T02:34:00.001-07:00

Ok so thats not me standing beside Chris O'Dowd, thats not even me in the back holding the white bag. What you will see (and care less about) is that on the left there is my moped ... which I love.

Anyway thats where I work, or rather where I work for now because at the end of this month I'm out of a job. Yes its a terrible thing but as longa s I can look at it as a new beginning I should be ok. Me, my wife, my daughter, my son, my cat and my mortgage.

So many things I want to do, so many ideas sitting in a waiting room in the back of my head.

Oh yeah, and the screen grab above is from the New Meteor Mobile Broadband to go TV advert. Thats scene is filmed outside my office in Dublin's Temple Bar.

Paranormal Magazine

2009-03-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

We dont have our own Paranormal Publication here in Ireland (for now!) but luckily we arent so backwards that we dont have shops (sure aren't I typing this on the internet). Anyway I pick up a copy of Paranormal Magazine now and then its a nice change from just reading off the screen of my iMac.

Of course not every subject they cover rings my bell but it does open me up to some topics I might otherwise ignore.

For those who've been reading Fortean Times for a while I suggest you checking out www.paranormalmagazine.co.uk for an alternative.

F**k it!

2009-02-27T04:43:00.001-08:00

I like this.

Saying ‘Fuck It’ is like massage for the mind –
Relaxing you, releasing tension, giving up on things that aren’t working.
John C. Parkin argues that saying Fuck It is a spiritual act:
That it is the perfect western expression of the eastern ideas of letting go, giving up and finding real freedom by realising that things don’t matter so much (if at all).

This is The Fuck It Way.

It works very simply: if you’re feeling stressed about something, say Fuck It… you feel instantly better.

Sometimes I just want to be silly!

2009-02-10T08:06:00.001-08:00

I haf sumfing 4 j00 ...... iz a dans

A night in Jail

2009-02-10T04:16:00.000-08:00

Actually it was a Gaol but then again we Irish like to be different.

Spent a great night in Wicklow Gaol with the rest of the PIGs (+2). Hadnt been there for a while and its somewhere we are very comfortable working. Sure it was cold but we know the layout very well and its got power .... something we often struggle with for our equipment.

Left to Right: Colum, Niall, Graham, Gavin and Mark (me).

I got some good photos that night though in general it was fairly quiet. Probably the highlight of the night was 5 fairly solid footsteps in the room above us when all 7 of us where in one very small room. I had my own experience of someone breathing heavey behind me but I was on my own so it counts for nothing other than being something for me to ponder.

I'll post a link to the shots once I get the gallery sorted.

Today

2009-01-26T03:51:00.000-08:00

So I read my horoscope today:

It's all about inner mysteries today. Psychology, life after death, soul connections and all that jazz. The New Moon is to blame for your distinctly weird outlook on life today - although it actually rather suits you.

Its gonna be one of those days, isn't it?

No words.

2009-01-19T05:34:00.001-08:00

Walk this Way!

2009-01-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

Ok so as well as looking after my mind I'm just to kick start my body! I'm off bread and potatoes for January to start the weight loss off and Wii Fit has become a part of everyday life. As well as that I'm making the most of my lovely city (Dublin) by going for a small walk (3.5km) a few times a week - leaving me less time to eat during my lunch.

So, an Irish man giving up spuds? Its as rare as hen's teeth. Anyway the map above is the walk I take, if you see me on the blue line between 1-2pm wave.

Feathered Wolf

2009-01-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

Okay so I had a dream a few nights ago and while I don't remember the dream when I woke up I had the words "feathered wolf" stuck in my head? Obviously I Googled it ... thats what Google is for. So theres a bird with the nickname "feathered wolf" and a few fantasy anime references of wolves with wings etc.

Of the image search results the one I liked was the one above. I studied art and did sculpture so the stone appeals to me. Anyway, just thought I'd share as the words themselves have no obvious meaning or message for me.

6th

Torn!

2009-01-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

On one hand I want to keep it to myself and on the other hand I want Anthony Jacquin to get the attention he deserves for what is without a doubt one of the handiest books I have ever read. I'm talking about my journey into Inpromtu Hynosis.

So what to do? Well for now what I'll do is post this message without links etc and if anyone is bothered they can take the 2 minutes to go find his site and buy the book - and thats a pretty good indication of how easy it is to learn hypnotism!

6th

Happy Medium!

2009-01-02T04:52:00.000-08:00

Ok so despite the title this post has nothing to do with the Paranormal!

Yep its music ... not something I talk about much. I love music dont get me wrong but I have never been into the latest big thing or kept up with the top of the pops.

I found Julia Nunes through Crystal's blog ages ago and have been following her youtube channel ever since. It was the first Channel I ever subscribed to and Nunes' album Left, Right, Wrong was the first album I have bought in probably a decade! Her covers on Youtube are great but you really need to check out her own stuff to get the most out of her.

Seriously, I dont suggest music often so this must be good ..... right?

Click her banner in this post to go to the Junu's Channel.

6th

Talking about a Resolution!

2009-01-01T02:31:00.000-08:00

Ok so New Year means we've gotta make a few promises to ourselves ...... luckily I've gotten pretty good at forgiving myself over the years!

Anyway, January will be a month of no bread and no potatoes - thats hell for me! But I started Wii Fit last night with my wife and hopefully that will distract me plus make it a bit of fun.

The Hypnotism is something I am very excited about and hopefully I'll get more people to practice on. Then there is the Development Circle later this month and The PIGs should be kicking ass following a long overdue meet up next week.

Apart from that I'm gonna use this year to make myself better at what I do, be that home, work or play!

Oh and I'm gonna blog ... like .... proper blog. I promise.

Happy New Year,

6th

Look into my eyes ......

2008-12-26T05:40:00.000-08:00

Ok so I decided to learn a bit about hypnotism .... then I decided to learn a little more ..... then I decided to become the hypnotist!

I'd like to say its difficult and all mysterious but its really not. 1 book was all I needed and I seem to naturally have most of the traits needed (I'm VERY confident).

Yesterday I was at my parents house with my wife, kids and some more of my family. The topic came up and they asked to see what I could do. Next thing you know my sister is under and she cant move her hand off her leg - the more she tries the harder she laughs! Then she goes under again and this time she cant remember her fiances name (he's watching the whole thing) - again the harder she tries the more she laughs (we have tears of laughter by this stage). I bring it to an end and leave her feeling happy, relaxed and full of energy.

I'm gonna practice a lot more and can see this skill helping me with so many of my projects.

Its a great book that I learnt this all from and I'll share it with you soon.

Development

2008-12-16T03:11:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm getting back into running a Development Circle again, it feels like the right time. The interest has been great so far and it looks like there'll be a decent group when it starts up in January. It worked out well last time so being me I'm hoping for better again.

I've replaced the Investigation section of 6thSensitive with a Development section because its a bigger part of my journey at the moment and demands more focus.

To be honest it really doesnt take much to start up a circle once you decide its what you want to do. Obviously not everyone that reads this can pop in to Dublin so if anyone would like some pointers in getting started then feel free to drop me a mail through the main site.

ParaCon on RTE's Nationwide!

2008-11-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ok to draw a line under this years ParaCon (and to save my sanity!) I'm posting the segment that was on RTE's Nationwide. For those not from Ireland Nationwide is a fairly popular human interests programme that been going for years and gets great viewing figures.

I can haz fay-moose-ness?

Slowly but surely ...

2008-11-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

... 6thSensitive is coming back!

Okay so I have the new site in place and I just have to fill it. I've stuck a bit about Cryptozoology in Ireland which might not interest some folk but sure .... what the heck?

Here is how it looks.

If you want a link but on it and its relevent then just let me know!

WARNING: Contains Strong Language

2008-09-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so its normal to ask questions while doing an investigation but sometimes you need to push it a little ..... you know ... to get a reaction.

Please note though that I dont think this is always appropriate, I wouldn't do this in an area where nice little friendly ghosts are reported. That would be naughty.

Speakers!

2008-09-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

Ok so we've sorted the speakers for the Convention!

Richard Jones:
Richard Jones is the author of many best selling books including Haunted Britain and Ireland, Myths and Legends of Britain and Ireland, Haunted Inns of Britain and Ireland and Haunted London. He has also written guides to Dublin, the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, Oxford, Cambridge, York, Edinburgh, Chester, Bath and Stratford. He has conducted on the spot research at over 2,000 haunted places and is well versed in paranormal history.
Richards Website: http://www.haunted-britain.com/

Catherine Murphy:
From an early age Catherine Murphy sensed something outside herself trying to communicate with her, something that she could not see, understand, or worse still, control. She didn't know what it was but knew it was an integral part of who she was. She's a straight talking mother of two who is quite realistic about her experiences. Catherine was a forus of an episode of RTE's Would You Believe and featured in the book Restless Spirit: The Story of Rose Quinn.
The book is available at: http://www.easons.ie/

Daev Walsh & Damien DeBarra:
Daev Walsh and Damien DeBarra are two of the reprobates behind Blather.net. Online since 1997, Walsh and Debarra (along with Barry Kavanagh and Sue Walsh) have a slightly different take on the world of the paranormal and supernatural, preferring not to subscribe to any one school of thought but rather to believe nothing, curse everything and apologise for NOTHING.
Purveryors of 'Gonzo Metaphysics' and 'High Weirdness' blather.net is based upon the lofty manifesto set out by it's original founder Flann O'Brien in being 'a publication of the Gutter' which would achieve 'entirely new levels in everything which is contemptible, despicable and unspeakable in contemporary journalism'. Blather has 'no principles, no honour, no shame'; its objects are 'the fostering of graft and corruption in public life, the furtherance of cant and hypocrisy, the encouragement of humbug and hysteria, the glorification of greed and gombeenism'". The book 'A Load of Blather' (good toilet reading) was published in June of 2008.
The book is available at: http://www.blather.net/book.html

Steve Parsons:
Parapsychologist and co-founder of ParaScience, Steve has worked on programmes such as Most Haunted and has been featured on the Discovery Channel both as an Investigator and for his work on Infrasound. Steven is a scientific and skeptical investigator who has no fears talking about his experiences behind the scenes of some of TVs most well know paranormal shows.
Visit: http://www.parascience.org.uk/

Bonnie Vance:
As owner of what is considered to be a second home to a large amount of ireland's paranormal enthusiasts, Bonnie has played a key role in the shape of the community - whether she knows it or not. Charleville Castle has been possibly the most open and welcoming of Ireland's great haunted locations. Having been feathered on programmes like Ghost Hunters International and Most Haunted its easy to forget that this is a family home - that is until you experience it first hand and are welcomed with open arms by Bonnie and the great team that keep the place what it is.
Visit: http://www.charlevillecastle.com

Centre Stage

2008-08-26T03:32:00.000-07:00

Well the news of the PIGs next big Investigation is out there ... and its getting a fair bit of attention! Click on the thumbnail above to read about it and get a look at the lads and myself. I would have have cleaned myself up a bit if I'd known it was going to be on page 3 of the Metro .... thats right, I'm a page 3 star!

Meh ....

2008-08-20T16:17:00.001-07:00

Struggling ...

2008-08-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

I usually love the rain but when I'm trying my hardest to stay motivated in an empty office .... not being able to go outside sucks!

It doesn't help me in my job to promote the Dublin Paranormal Convention either, as much as I like all you online folks .... you ain't gonna buy tickets to it! So its out to the streets of Dublin for me - rain or not!

In the Paper

2008-08-09T04:12:00.000-07:00

So Kevin Jenkinson from The Star has done another article to mention the PIGs and upcoming convention. The focus is a bit off target but sure its all publicity!

Click the image for larger view.

Good old days!

2008-08-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ok so I'm going back to the good old days of 6thSensitve. Thats a return to the old logo and will be bring the site up to date with a new look. Thats gonna leave me free to use this blog as I want with podcast and video blogs coming in the near future.

Investigation stuff will be over on the PIG website so 6thsensitive will be more my ideas, experiences and ponderings.

6thSensitive was my first real website so I'd be a bad parent if I ditched it after all these years.

Randi Pulls the Plug

2008-07-31T04:14:00.001-07:00

So James Randi has said that he's giving 2 more years for someone to claim his $1,000,000.00 prize by displaying paranormal abilities under controlled conditions. He says that 10 years is long enough to wait.

I'm just wondering why he is bothering to pull it? Its the main weapon for most skeptics and he's taking it away from them. If he thinks his money is so safe then whats the problem? Maybe he saw some cool stuff on craigslist that he really wants or maybe a psychic told him that someone is going to prove the existance of supernatural powahs in 2011? Maybe he just wants some attention or maybe he's just worried that he's been wrong all along and he'll be in deep do-do when he crosses over?

Tickets on Sale!

2008-07-28T01:27:00.000-07:00

Finally tickets have gone on sale for the Dublin Paranormal Convention! We've set up the shop on the www.dublinparacon.com so people can purchase tickets safely and conveniently through PayPal.

Now all we have to do is point people towards them and look forward for what I know will be a great day in Clontarf Castle.

Barry FitzGerald: Dublin Paranormal Convention

2008-07-22T01:49:00.000-07:00

Great News: Barry FitzGerald of the Sci-Fi Channel's Ghost Hunters International! Colum (of PIGs) met with Barry recently and he was more than happy to come on board to promote the Irish Paranormal Community. Barry will be giving a talk and will hopefully be answering a few questions at the Dublin Paranormal Convention in Clontarf Castle on Saturday 11th October 2008.

From Sci-Fi Channel's mini-site:

Barry FitzGerald, a veteran ghost-hunter with 17 years of experience in paranormal investigating, is memorable to Ghost Hunters fans for his work on TAPS' investigations in Europe, during the show's third season. Now, as a member of the new GHI team, Barry supplies his expertise in both ghost-hunting as well as his knowledge of the historical locations of each new investigation.

Haunted by supernatural events he experienced as a child growing up in Ireland, Barry developed an interest in paranormal research and went on to work for two different paranormal groups based in Northern Ireland. He now dedicates much of his time to the development of new investigative techniques and research methods.

A lifetime resident of Ireland, Barry previously worked as the warden for the Southern Education and Library Board, where he arranged weekends away for youths and worked on conflict issues and cross-border projects, allowing communities from either side of the cultural divide in Northern Ireland to work together and develop friendships. He is also an avid writer and cook.

I cant wait to get a chance to pick his brains!

As if life wasn't crazy enough!

2008-07-17T02:31:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last few days organizing a office move and oh how much fun it wasn't! I am now finally sitting in front of my iMac but surrounded by boxes and junk ... not to mention that I have no phone line and am piggybacking on a kind neighbours broadband (yes we did ask first!).

Its not all bad though and we've moved from a building full of legal eagles to the heart of trendy TempleBar! Hopefully the new setting will inspire me!

Plate Spinning!

2008-07-01T05:41:00.001-07:00

When I set up 6thSensitive.com back in 2005 I was pretty chuffed with myself but knew it was going to take a bit of effort to keep it going. Unfortunately its suffered as I've brought more projects online but I've finally decided its time to make it a bit more up to date. At the moment I'm doing it in QuarkXpress which is crazy seeing as all my other sites are now looked after by my brother-in-law Patrick over at RedTomato, he's already got his work cut out for him with my sitesand now I'm throwing a revamp at him!

So far I have this blog plus 4 sites and 2 forums:

http://www.6thsensitive.com
http://6thsensitive.blogspot.com
http://www.thepigs.org
http://www.thepigs.org/forums
http://www.dublinparacon.com
http://www.dublinparacon.com/forums
http://www.paranormal.ie

Thats a fair bit of work and sometimes I think its too much but I really cant see a single one that I dont feel is worth the effort.

My latest project http://www.paranormal.ie is actually to replace an old site I had (Spectral Sightings) which, while a great idea, never took off due to me not having the skills to get it to work.SpectralSightings was meant to be a data base of all reported hauntings & sightings from around Ireland . I wanted it to rely on the input of others but it was just taking a lot of effort to make it worth having.

The new Paranormal.ie is one I know I am going to be proud of! Mainly a directory site with hauntings, sightings etc it will also include a list of mediums, readers, psychics, Investigation groups etc from around Ireland. To spot it from getting to boring though I will throw up latest news, any media attention, events and once it takes off competions.

So a new look for http://www.6thsensitive.com and more importantly some changes to make it alot easier for me to update. A site isnt worth having if its out of date!

6th

Duncannon Fort

2008-06-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

Ok I'll be blogging a bit about things I've done over the last while as its been non-stop investigations, PIGs business and website development for the last while.

All 5 PIGs headed off to virgin soil on the 24th May to Investigate Duncannon Fort in Wexfort. This place hadnt been investigated before despite have numerous reports by staff and visitors over the years. Colum was our contact for this as his family have a home down the road from the fort.

The investigation didnt turn up much outside of subjective personal experience but its definately worth more time. Its unquestionably one of the most impressive sites I've ever visited.

Anyway here is a small video, its not much, just a walk around in The Croppy Boy Cell:

PIGs: The Croppy Boy Cell

There was more than 20 hours of video and 8 hours of audio to review so there will be a couple more short vids etc to piece together.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

2008-05-24T02:51:00.000-07:00

Ok so there's an article about the convention in the Irish Daily Star. For the record, I am not the founder of PIGs .... that better guys?

Click the image to see the article in full size:

Dublin Paranormal Convention

2008-05-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

Ok so I havent been blogging but I ain't been sitting on my ass either! The new site for the convention is up and running and the PIGs site is getting there too.

As well as the site the overall plans for the convention are going great. we've quality speakers sorted out and the stands are filling up. We've great groups coming over from all over so its looking to be a great event. The Summer months will see the start of the big push.

A big thanks to Patrick over at redtomato for all the work on the site ... and the hand full of other projects he's so kindly working on for me!

View from Hell

2008-04-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

So off we went up Montpellier Hill to the very intimidating Hellfire Club. Its a tough little trek so we took a breather at the top and snapped off some shots of the view of Dublin .... its a site to behold!

5 Men go up a mountain!

2008-04-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ok well tonight the PIGs (+1) go up to the HellFire Club. I've been going up there for the last 23 years but have never done an investigation up there ... infact ... no group has! Its a bit out of the way but not too far from an area which has a bad reputation, fortunately I am from that area.

Hopefully I'll be popping up so footage and photos over the next couple of days but for now here is a video I shot up there one day I popped up on my own:

Paranormal Sub-Culture

2008-04-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Read an interesting article the other day, just thought I'd share:

The subculture of paranormalists – a group comprising everyone from careerists to occasional hobbyists – is absolutely fascinating in my opinion. Aside from the obvious fringe topics of interest, the people taking up this way of life and the stories of how they got into such a mix are just as amazing as the questions of life binding them. Some start out as skeptics and turn into full-out believers, some the reverse. Others are psychics putting those various talents to use as a means of seeing the unknown and the known in unique ways. Others were thrust into the fascination as a direct result of an unexplained personal event. Some are searching for a thing they can't put their finger on, a nagging that simply won't subside and can only be steadied through a wandering study of all things mysterious. Some spend every waking hour concentrating on a single topic. Many know there is something out there they will never understand and continue looking. Some are trying to prove something and seek that proof. Others feel there is nothing to prove and seek that proof of nothing or their version of logical explanations. Others, I'm afraid, are simply in it for attention, being more concerned with showmanship than an accomplishment of anything contributing to the advancement of understanding in the paranormal arts.

Anyway that only part of it and you can read the rest of the article here: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/mysticmusings/archives/136558.asp?from=blog_last3

Psychic crackdown on the cards

2008-04-07T04:04:00.000-07:00

Thaedydal over on Boards posted about this in the Paranormal Forum:

Mediums are fighting new EU rules designed to protect the public from dodgy traders, fearing that honest spiritualists could be targeted

This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday April 06 2008 on p21 of the News section. It was last updated at 01:18 on April 06 2008.

The evocative question 'Is there anybody there?' conjures up images of mediums summoning spirits in a darkened room. But now psychics must add a few riders before they invoke the voices of the dead, thanks to new consumer laws due to come into force. Breathless audiences are now likely to be asked: 'Is there anybody here... who is vulnerable, of nervous disposition, or likely to sue?'

Indeed, a whole list of disclaimers must be added to the spiritualists' spiel if they are to avoid an avalanche of writs following the repeal next month of the Fraudulent Mediums Act, to be replaced by the new Consumer Protection Regulations. Promises to raise the dead, secure good fortune or heal through the laying on of hands are all at risk of legal action from disgruntled customers. Spiritualists say they will be forced to issue disclaimers, such as 'this is a scientific experiment, the results of which cannot be guaranteed'. They claim the new regulations will leave them open to malicious civil action by sceptics.

The problem is that very little in the multi-million-pound psychic industry in Britain is for free, and anyone charging or accepting 'gifts' in exchange for a service is bound by the new regulations. There are charges for seances, Tarot, psychic readings and clairvoyance. Spiritualist church service-goers - and there are more than 300 spiritualist churches in Britain - are charged or asked for donations. Psychic mailings - letters promising spiritualist services in exchange for a cheque - are estimated to have cost Britons £40m in 2006-07, according to Office of Fair Trading research. Psychic services via telephone, online and satellite TV keep the tills ringing further.

For the past half-century, 'genuine' mediums have been protected by the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act, under which prosecutors had to prove fraud and dishonest intent to secure a criminal conviction, which was difficult. There have been fewer than 10 convictions in the past 20 years. With that protection gone, there will now be nothing between the medium and the trading standards officer - and no need to prove fraud. Instead it will be up to the trader, in this case the medium, to prove they did not mislead, coerce or take advantage of any 'vulnerable' consumers.

Carole McEntee-Taylor, a spiritualist healer in Essex, said having to stand up and describe the invoking of spirits as an 'experiment' was forcing spiritualists to 'lie and deny our beliefs'. She added: 'No other religion has to do that. And how can you tell if someone is vulnerable? You would have to ask them if they felt vulnerable, or had mental health issues, or were of a nervous disposition.'

With her husband, David, a spiritualist minister, she has set up the Spiritualist Workers' Association, to help regulate the industry and offer guidance on the law. They will be presenting a petition to 10 Downing Street on 18 April. Their website warns: 'The changes in the legislation are a minefield... given Britain's litigation culture. We have to fight it. If not, we will go back to the Dark Ages, where we will be persecuted and prosecuted.'

The Fraudulent Mediums Act replaced the 1735 Witchcraft Act. The government is set to repeal it and many other laws alongside the introduction of the Consumer Protection Regulations. If they are approved by Parliament, as is likely - there are debates in the Lords on 23 April and in the Commons on 6 May - the regulations will come into force on 26 May. They will ban 31 types of unfair sales practice outright, including bogus closing-down sales, prize-draw scams and aggressive doorstep selling, and will for the first time establish a catch-all duty not to trade unfairly, closing loopholes that rogue traders have been able to exploit. But spiritualists say the measures fail to take account of their religion.

'It is taking a religion, a way of life, and making it a commercial transaction,' said David McEntee-Taylor. 'If we hold a service in a village hall, we have to charge or ask for a donation to cover the cost of hiring the hall. There are bad mediums out there, and we would like to regulate them. But this is unfair on genuine spiritualists. Some people are very nervous of entrapment.'

Emma-Louise Rhodes, a researcher for BadPsychics, which seeks to expose malpractice, said: 'Hopefully, the new regulations will bring to justice those who have cruelly sought to exploit the bereaved for personal financial gain.'

A legal specialist said: 'Now there is no difference between a psychic and a double-glazing salesman in law.'

Spiritual journey

· Britain's first spiritualist church was set up in Keighley, Yorkshire, in 1853.

· Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, was an ardent believer.

· The First World War changed the spiritualist movement dramatically, with more bereaved relatives becoming desperate to make contact with their dead loved ones.

· Doris Stokes emerged as Britain's first real celebrity medium in the Eighties.

· Princess Diana consulted New Age healers and spiritualists.

· Selfridge's introduced the spiritualist 'Psychic Sisters' to its London store in 2006.

Now I am hardly a sceptic but I cant help but think that anything which protects the general publics from frauds etc is a good thing. We all now frauds exist so is it so wrong to bring in a law which anyone who claims to have "gifts" is answerable to?

A blogless month

2008-04-07T04:02:00.001-07:00

So I've been pretty quiet for the last month and really need to get off my ass.

Its been busy enough in work etc but I have fit in an Investigation in Wicklow Gaol and have been working away on the New PIGs website and the Convention.

Anyway no more excuses, I have blogging to do!

ParaCon on Bebo

2008-03-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

We've made a Bebo Group for the convention so if you're on Bebo stop by and say hello ... if you're not on Bebo the sign up, stop by and say hello! Click the image above to head over.

DUBLIN PARANORMAL CONVENTION '08

2008-03-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ok so we're putting on a Convention this year in Dublin! There's alot of work to do but its the venue is booked and its coming together. If you're not planning on being in Dublin on Saturday 11th October 2008 then go book a flight, check the trains or do whatever it is you need to do.

You can visit the site by clicking on the banner above (which is still under construction) or drop by the forum and say hello. We dont just want your feedback .... we need it!

Dublin doesnt have anything like this but its definately long over due.

Cheers

6th

P.I.Gs Investigate Palmerstown Graveyard

2008-02-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

P.I.Gs (Paranormal Investigation Guys) investigate Palmerstown Graveyard following the appearance of an unexplained figure in a photo taken by 3 masters students from UCD.

Original Image:

Enhanced Image:

Video of Investigation:

6thSensitve: Updated

2008-02-15T02:04:00.000-08:00

Ok as I said in the last post here the wind of change are sweeping across 6thSensitive.com. There's alot more to do but with the setting up of P.I.Gs I've taken done the old investigation section and once the P.I.Gs site is fully up and running some of the stuff will be moved over there. Take a sneak peek: http://www.thepigs.org

Anyway I have to rethink what I will use my main site for but there is no way I'm just going to let it fall off the face of the Earth!

New Logo

2008-02-15T01:56:00.001-08:00

Ok so its not drastically different but I wanted to try something new out. 6thSensitive has been going for the last 3 years and it needs a shake up!

New logo:

Old logo:
Thats only part of the changes going on over at www.6thsensitive.com ... stop by.

Council Pays for Exorcism

2008-02-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

From www.thisislondon.co.uk:

When Sabrina Fallon heard banging noises coming from her attic, she was understandably concerned and called the police.

Officers found no sign of a break-in, however, and joked that it might have been a ghost.

Unfortunately, Mrs Fallon didn't see the funny side.

Spooked: Sabrina Fallon outside her previously haunted house in County Durham

She claims the banging was followed by a series of strange happenings, including doors slamming shut, the ghost of a little girl appearing on the landing and, bizarrely, even her own dressing gown floating down the stairs.

And the council's solution to her months of torment? To pay for an exorcism, of course!

Now, through the power of prayer, holy water and protective salt circles, Mrs Fallon says she and her family have finally been left in peace.

Mrs Fallon, 23, moved into the three-bedroom council house in Peterlee, County Durham, with her husband Martin and two children in June last year.

They first contacted "ghostbuster" Suzanne Hadwin in December.

"She sent her spiritual guide to the house," Mrs Fallon said yesterday. "Me being me, I was waiting for a knock at the door.

"We got a call back later that night from Suzanne who said there was a male in the house. She said he was really angry and that he was after my youngest daughter Amy who is only 16 months old.

"It was terrifying. Suzanne didn't even know that I had two children, let alone their names. She knew everything - even the colour of the walls in our home. She said this male figure wanted to possess my daughter's body in order to relive his life. His name was Peter and he was a poltergeist.

"After that the banging got worse. He was also trying to make physical contact and on one occasion I felt a hand touch my shoulder."

Later that month they decided enough was enough and called in Miss Hadwin herself.

"When I saw the girl at the top of the stairs I thought I must have been seeing things," said Mrs Fallon.

"I tried to put it to the back of my mind but kept hearing this banging coming from the loft and whispering.

"I called the police one night suspecting that it may be thieves but they couldn't find anything and suggested it might be ghosts. It was then that I called Suzanne for help."

Mrs Fallon, whose 24-year- old husband quit his job as a lorry driver to protect his wife and children, was later told by a council worker of a murder at the property 50 years ago.

"I couldn't believe it," she said. "They said a man had killed his wife on the landing using a fire poker. It seems he then hanged himself."

Miss Hadwin offered to carry out an exorcism for £120.

Unable to afford the fee Mrs Fallon, whose elder daughter Shannon is nine, went to the council, which agreed to pay half.

The exorcism was carried out on December 27 and the Fallons say they have since been left in peace.

Miss Hadwin, 35, of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, said: "I realised there was a very bad spirit in the house and there had been a murder there.

"Sabrina was absolutely terrified. She told the council that she didn't want to stay in the house and that's when they agreed to help pay."

She added: "I got rid of the poltergeist by laying salt circles in the house as areas of protection for the family.

"I then used the power of prayer, sprinkled holy water and called in some angels to take the spirit to the place he needed to be taken."

A spokesman for Easington District Council said it agreed to pay half of the exorcism because the family were "extremely distressed" and the alternative was £40-per-night emergency accommodation.

She added that the council is committed to preventing homelessness by a number of measures, "albeit none of them quite as unusual as this".

Ghosthunter Suzanne Hadwin was paid by Easington District council to perform an exorcism at the Fallon family home in Peterlee

_______________________

So my question on this would be, if the council hadn't payed the money and Mrs. Fallon couldn't not afford it ..... would Suzanne Hadwin have helped this woman for free?

I am actually going to try put that question to her and give her the chance to reply.

More on this to come.

video test

2008-02-11T03:54:00.000-08:00

New Logo?

2008-02-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

I'm on a bit of a Black & White buzz at the moment and feel that the logo needs an update. I'll throw a few ideas up here and might add a poll, would love to hear back from people.

For now here is a quick look at what I'm thinking:

Feedback welcome!

Paranormal Tv Shows

2008-01-31T04:36:00.000-08:00

Boards.Tv (part of the Boards.ie empire) has made a new section to discuss Paranormal Tv Shows .... huzzah! Its early days but here's hoping it achieves even a fraction of the success of its father site.

There are a huge amount of shows going on at the moment, some already establish and some new ones on the way.

Childrens Book

2008-01-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

First off thanks to my fellow PIG (Paranormal Investigation Guys) Niall Stone(r) for getting me this book, good man!

As a father of a beautiful 3 year old year girl and a rough and tumble 6 month old son its great to see a book like this being done. So here is a bit about the book:

I Think We've Got Ghosts by Brian Byers

Description: Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or just a close friend, this book is designed to help spark communication between you and your child. If you seem to be experiencing something paranormal in nature, this book will give a “face” to that which has none. Most importantly, this book is designed to allow your child to express his or her feelings through humor and illustrations. “I Think We’ve Got Ghosts,” is designed to empower your child to take control of a situation that may seem frightening in nature, and to realize it doesn’t have to be.

Its a great book and as someone who reads to his kids a lot, has a huge interest in the Paranormal and illustration (I studied Fine Art in College and work as a designer) this book is perfect. Ok so I wouldnt just read it to my kids for the sake of it but once they start to ask questions its the type of thing you can take out and ease their fears in a way thats on their level. Its also the type of book I'd hand a copy of to people who I deal with (with regards to the Paranormal) who have children.

I'm gonna have to buy a dozen copies or so!

Visit Brian's site HERE

6th

Psychic Medium Adam

2008-01-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Enlightenment

Spend the day in the company of Psychic Medium Adam and have questions answered about the angels, spirit guides and life’s blueprint.

Ardmore Hotel, Finglas, Dublin Ireland - January 27th, 2008. 3pm - 6pm. (Doors open 2:30pm)

Holiday Inn, Oshawa, Ontario Canada - March 2008

Psychic Medium Adam & Psychic Bernie @ The Helix, Dublin Ireland - April 13th 2008

For more information on upcoming events and how to purchase tickets, please call Sandra at 085 7630 343 or email pm_adam@hotmail.com

Visit: http://www.psychicmediumadamonline.com/index.htm

Group seeks pardon for witchcraft

2008-01-08T02:26:00.000-08:00

From UPI.com

EDINBURGH , Scotland, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- A Scottish group specializing in the paranormal is calling for the country's Parliament to pardon the last person in Britain to be convicted of witchcraft.

Full Moon Investigations announced it plans to submit a petition to ministers that calls for them to lobby the Home Office to fully pardon Helen Duncan, who was convicted and jailed for witchcraft in 1944, the Edinburgh Evening News reported Monday.

Duncan was arrested after conducting seances in locations across Britain, but was allegedly arrested after concerns were raised that she would reveal details of the upcoming D-Day landings.

The organization said it is also working to obtain posthumous pardons for nearly 4,000 people prosecuted, tortured and executed in Scotland under the witchcraft act.

"The pardon of the 4,000 prosecuted as witches is very relevant in today's society," said Full Moon founder Andrea Byrne. "Occupations such as herbalists, acupuncture, midwifery, reiki (spiritual energy therapy) and health foods can all be seen as having roots in the traditions and people who would have been classed as witches in their day.

So show your support and visit the guys at http://fullmooninvestigations.co.uk

Orbs: A theory

2008-01-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

For me orbs themselves are nothing to get excited about, I believe they are, as some say, the first stage of a spirit manisfestation - however if you look at their behaviour, then you might be getting somewhere.

If you consider how dust behaves when it close to a TV screen or anything with a static charge and the look at orbs it can kick up a few ideas.

Recently watching an investigation a girl was on video being "followed" by an orb ... this may simply have been dust (or similar) attracted to a charge on her cheap polyester top

So if a spirit walked through an empty room (for example) whatever the make up of the spirit is (electro-magnetic etc?) could this affect the behaviour of particles in the air?

I've taken a picture in a place I felt was very active, one second not much going on .... 4 seconds later, hundreds - taken from the same spot.

So my opinion is that orbs are nothing more than dust etc but their behaviour could be a good heads up to activity.

How To: Séance

2007-12-27T04:09:00.000-08:00

Here's How To Conduct A Seance:

A séance is a meeting at which a spiritualist attempts to receive communications from the spirits of the dead. Here's how:

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 30 minutes plus

Here's How:

1. Assemble the participants. Gather the people who will participate. Some say the number of participants must be divisible by three. But this does not seem to be an absolute rule. No fewer than three people should attempt a séance.

2. Choose a medium. You might want to choose a medium among the participants. This could be a person who has had experience with séances or someone who tends to have psychic abilities.

3. Use a round or oval table. This helps create the symbolic circle believed necessary for the ritual.

4. Set the table. In the center of the table, place some kind of simple, natural aromatic food, such as bread or soup. This is believed to help attract the spirits who still seek physical nourishment.

5. Light candles. Also in the center of the table, place no fewer than three candles (or a number divisible by three) lit candles; the more candles, the better. Spirits still seek warmth and light.

6. Create some atmosphere. Dim the lights and eliminate any distractions, such as music and television.

7. Join hands. Seated around the table, the participants must all join hands in a circle.

8. Summon the spirit. The participants must speak these words together: "Our beloved [name of spirit], we bring you gifts from life into death. Commune with us, (name of spirit), and move among us."

9. Wait for a response. If none comes, repeat the chant until the spirit responds.

10. Communicate. If and when the spirit responds -- either by rapping or some other means, or through the medium - ask your questions.

11. Begin simply. Ask yes and no questions at first -- one rap for no, two raps for yes, for example.

12. Communicate directly. If a spirit chooses to speak through the medium, you may ask any kind of question.

13. Maintain control. If the séance seems to be getting out of hand, end the séance by breaking the circle of hands, extinguishing the candles and turning on the lights.

14. End the séance. When you're done with your questioning, thank the spirit for joining you and tell them to go in peace. Break the circle of hands and extinguish the candles.

Tips:

Don't allow participants who you don't think could handle a séance psychologically. Children, for example, must never participate.

What You Need:

table
food
candles

Yeti in the News

2007-12-03T04:10:00.000-08:00

A group of explorers believe they have found fresh evidence of the existence of the Yeti.

An expedition team who went in search of the mythical creature in the Nepalese Himalayas for a US television documentary claim they have found giant footprints of the so-called abominable snowman.

The team of nine armed with infrared cameras, spent a week in the icy Khumbu region near to Mount Everest.

They say they found three fresh footprints on lumps of sandy soil - one of which was about a foot long - which are currently being analysed by experts in the States.

It has never been scientifically proven that the Yeti actually exists, but there have been many reported sightings of wild and hairy creatures lurking in the Himalayas.

And many sherpa porters have had plenty of tales to tell about them to foreign mountain climbers on Mount Everest ever since the 1920s.

Projects

2007-11-28T01:43:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting on a few big projects at the moment and I think I might burst. The thing about having a great idea is that you cant tell people about it cos someone most likely will swipe it!

Anyway these projects are racking up my number of websites but thankfully Patrick (my brother-in-law) looks after all my hosting & programming needs! Check out his blog.

Art above all else!

2007-11-26T03:38:00.000-08:00

Going through some old files on my mac I came across these photos from 10 years ago when I was studying Sculpture ..... wish I had the time and space to work on big pieces like this again.

Above: I got my hands on a half tonne chunk of 250 year old Oak and got to work with a chainsaw.

The final product was was 5'6" (same height as myself) and finished with copper.

The above piece was actually just a mock up made in plaster on a metal frame but made to look like bronze. Again this was pretty big and actually fairly comfortable to sit into!

WHO YA GONNA CALL?

2007-11-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

Oh finally a reason to send me back to the world of console gaming!

Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, and Sony Pictures Consumer Products have jointly announced that they are developing "Ghostbusters The Video Game", based on the films.

And - it might actually be quite decent - like the films before it, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis will return to script the storyline for the game that will lead the player through the trials and tribulations of the world’s leading paranormal ghost busting team.

Fans will be delighted to hear that the game will feature the original film cast from the classic Ghostbusters films, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson, back again for the first time in more than 20 years.

Equipped with a variety of unique weapons and gadgets, players will hunt, fight and capture a wide range of supernatural villains in a funny and frightening battle to save New York City from its latest paranormal plague.

Ghostbusters The Video Game is expected to launch autumn 2008.

Ouch!

2007-11-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

So I got knocked off my moped and broken my wrist ... took me 2 days to realize though?

Anyway its a nice blue cast and an excuse to rest a bit for the next 4 weeks ... nice run up to Christmas. Sympathy comments are very welcome ; )

6th

WORLD GHOST CONVENTION: CORK - on Boards.ie

2007-10-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ok so there is a thread about this over on Boards.ie - click the image above to go to it. I might even see a few of you there! Come over and say hi if you catch a glimpse of me ... there's enough pics of me on here to make me an easy target.

Thank Your Lucky Stars!

2007-10-10T04:17:00.000-07:00

Ok so being that I work in Advertising I have to go through a lot of newspapers regularly. I dont pay much attention to my horoscope (Cancer - 13th July) usually but today I decided to post up a selection of mine from different Irish newspapers.

Irish Daily Mirror:

You tend to take things personally and this has a knock-on effect on your relationships. Today's link between the Moon and Chiron allows you to find a sense of perceptive that is very welcome. The two of you have a differnt way of approaching things and this can interfere with your relationship. To get to the heart of what October is about call XXXXXXXXX.

The Star

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he'd learned in seven years.” So said Mark Twain and you can relate to his wisdom.

The Daily Mail

HUNGER is the best condiment. When we want something badly, we forgive it a thousand faults. Our critical faculties get in the way of a much deeper need. Obviously, we ahve to decide if something is dangerous, poisonous or compromising. But if all of those fundamental checks have been made, the rest is academic. You have an opportunity to reclaim something you very much want. Is the situation ideal? Are there likely to be a few 'consequences'? Who cares?

Herald AM

Make good links those you haven't seen for a while. Be patient when trying to get tasks finished. Stay on top of your commitments. But shake things up a bit! Joy & happiness should be written all over your face soon.

Metro

You have such strong negotiation skills - how come you never use them on yourself? Getting your work-life balance right requires both sides of you to compromise. Work on that.

The Sun

The clash between Mars and the Moon will change the way you look at life - so the bigger the challenge, the better you will do. The truth alone is not enough and you need to add tact when you are asked to give and honest opinion. Single? The initial K is a hot love clue.

Nothing much I can take from any of them but then again I think they are aimed at people who feel they need direction - I'm drivin' this car!

Ghost Conference: Cork

2007-10-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well I can finally make it to one of these after 6 years!
_________________

Irish Ghost Family Festival 2007
October 26th - November 2nd 2007

The 7th World Ghost Convention: 2007

Friday, October 26th @ 8 p.m.
Cork City Gaol Heritage Centre,
Sunday's Well, Cork City.

To Be Officially Opened By The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Cork,
Cllr. Donal Counihan & Lady Mayoress, Breda Counihan

Reported sightings of ghosts and spirits are only the tip of the iceberg as many people are afraid, ashamed, and embarrassed to come forward for fear of not being taken seriously.
For this reason, the World Ghost Convention was established to help those who have had supernatural experiences by raising public awareness, highlighting the fact that they are not alone in having such experiences. In addition, this unique international Ghost Convention provides an ideal opportunity for people to express their views on the paranormal by
giving them a platform to share their own experiences with like-minded Ghost and Spirit enthusiasts.

Established in the year 2000, the goal of this unique annual World Ghost Convention is:

To give people who have experienced supernatural occurrences the opportunity to share their own personal supernatural experiences if they so wish as well as hear firsthand the accounts of others that echo similar experiences.
___

To give people who are curious about the supernatural in general an opportunity to hear a variety of supernatural topics explored by speakers from different backgrounds and professions.
___

To get a clearer picture of the supernatural by touching upon a variety of
different aspects of the supernatural from different viewpoints.

The panel of guest speakers for the evening are:

Kathleen Mueting, Spiritual Advisor, Healer, Clairvoyant, Motivational Speaker, Author & Teacher
Have there been 'accidental' meetings in your life? Have you met someone out of the blue who gave you information you needed at the time? In a lecture entitled "Demystifying The Spirit World - Practical Applications In Our Everyday Lives", Kathleen Mueting will explore Spirit Guides and Angels who are there for us and provide examples of how these 'Invisible Helpers' work miracles in our lives.

John Collins, Psychic / Spiritualist
Drawing from his own personal history, John will speak about his everyday experiences with ghosts and outline his method of communicating with them. He will also go through the different reasons why spirits wish to communicate with us.

Dr. Margaret Humphreys
Folklore & Ethnology Department, University College Cork
In the lecture titled "Seeing is Believing?", Dr. Humphreys will outline and discuss the question of belief and disbelief in ghost stories regarding supernatural sightings from both a positive and critical perspective.

Christina Linehan, Clinical Hypnotherapist/Psychotherapist/Reiki Master
American born Christina moved to Ireland from the East Coast in 2002 and along with Analysis and Suggestion Therapy, specialises in past life regression and regression for alien encounters. Christina will discuss expanding our definition and awareness of reality and describe how her own life was enriched by the amazing metaphysical insights her children shared with her. She will also share photos of orbs, spirits and a portal.

Helen Barrett, the White Witch of the Isles
Internationally renowned for her psychic abilities, Helen will discuss the reasons why ghosts, intentionally or unintentionally violate the laws of physicalisation and the consequences of such violation.

There'll be plenty more going on all weekend for all ages and it promises to be well worth going along to.

Northside Hulas

2007-10-08T14:26:00.001-07:00

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

McCanns to consult Psychic?

2007-10-02T03:03:00.000-07:00

Click on thumbnail to view hi-res article.

THE GROUP

2007-09-21T02:11:00.001-07:00

Ok so like I said the time came and a group was formed. Its worked out pretty well in that we all know the score and there are know crazy politics ..... and no family!

Anyway the name came came from having being refered to as "the paranormal guys" by Louise Kings on EastCoast FM's Psychic Line. So here we are, the Paranormal Investigation Guys (P.I.G):

Movin' On Up!

2007-09-13T01:13:00.000-07:00

Okay so for over a yeah I was approached by a couple of different people about being involved in some TV work. I learned pretty quickly that when you get excited to quick you get disappointed even quicker! The intentions were always good put things just then to fall down at the first hurdle.

Anyway a while back I was asked again if I might be interested by a couple of people who I had done other work with and I was enthusiastic as ever but prepared for nothing to come of it.

I had always said that being part of a set Investigation Group wasn't really my thing. It wasn't that I like to work alone but that being part of a much larger community (like the Paranormal Forum on Boards.ie) meant I could work with different people all the time.

For the sake of the project in hand though I really had to sit down and think about who I could work with as part of a unit. Took about 2 seconds for me to realise that Stoner, monkeyfudge & Grimes were the ones who ticked all the boxes.

Anyway having worked with a great group of people, the pilot for the show has been sent out to several stations and the initial feedback is great - one UK station has already said that they would really love us to film a series next year.

Unfortunately its all still hush hush so I've to button my lip on the details.

That Out of Body feeling?

2007-08-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

Two studies have claimed to induce "out-of-body" experiences in healthy volunteers and say there is a neurological basis for such happenings. The details of the studies appear in the August 24 issue of the journal Science.

An "out-of-body" experience is something of a mystery and has been reported by survivors of traumatic incidences who described their experiences when death neared. Basically this experience related to a feeling of detachment and surveying one's own body from a distance. This is possible because all the sensory apparatus become "disconnected during stress."

In one study researchers at the University College London's Institute of Neurology experimented on healthy volunteers by using high-tech 3-D goggles. Participants were able to see 3-D images of their own body as being some six feet away as it was filmed from behind.

Simultaneously a researcher took two plastic rods and stimulated the participant's chest as well as the same spot on the 3-D image. Participants said they were sitting behind and looking at their own body. "This was a bizarre, fascinating experience for the participants -- it felt absolutely real for them and was not scary," said a statement issued by the author the study, Dr. Henrik Ehrsson.

In the second experiment, researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, in Switzerland, were given the task of watching 3-D holographic projections. One projection was of their own body, the second was of a dummy, while the third was of a square block.

In each case researchers stroked the back of the projection with a brush. Sometimes the participant's back was also stroked simultaneously. After this the volunteers were blindfolded and asked to point to the exact spot where the brush was stroked.

Researchers said that those who watched the square block or dummy managed to accomplish this task accurately, but those who watched themselves were unable to do so.

Reacting to the studies, Dr. Kevin Nelson, a leading researcher on near-death phenomena said they showed "that the integration of various sensory modalities is important for retaining our sense of where our body is, of where our self is in that body."

Top Cleric rounds at Astrology

2007-08-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

From todays METRO newspaper:

The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has attacked astrology, horoscopes, clairvoyants and other new-age practices as among the most "disturbing" signs of our society.
Archbishop Seán Brady said reliance on them results from a fear of the future and insecurities that lurk behind the seeming confidence of modern culture and life.
Celebrating the Mass Of The Queenship Of Mary, closing the annual novena at Knock, Co. Mayo, he said: 'People who sepend money on these pursuits would have more influence on the future if they gave their money to those in need". He added that the "Land of Saints & Scholars" was now the "Land of Stocks & Shares".

In fairness I have to agree with him. I mean he's not saying that these things (clairvoyants etc) aren't genuine he's just saying that people have become dependent on them and that there are things that people can do themselves to make the world a better place. Obviously someone like myself has no problem with people going to readers but it can be addictive and used as a crutch by many people who can't seem to make any life choices without first seeking guidance from a deck of cards or a premium rate phone service.

In the Woods

2007-08-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ok so I've been getting distracted with with photography lately and even when I go for a walk with my daughter to one of the spookiest woods in Ireland the focus is taking snaps rather than looking for "spookies" as my daughter calls them.

I promise though, I will find my focus!

Photography

2007-08-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ok having gotten the 400D from my wonderful wife I'm trying to get back into photography. I did a degree in Fine Art a decade ago which included 2 years of photography. I loved it at the time but after a long break its a case of learning all over again. Note I went from a Pentax K1000 to my new Canon EOS 400D .... big jump!

Anyway these shots where taken a short drive from my house up at Kilakee. Its a great spot for photography as well as having the Hellfire Club, Kilakee House & Lord Massey's Estate.

30 Year Old Father of 2

2007-08-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

Wow that how I would be discribed now if I was in the newspaper! Actually its really cool being a father of 2 even though hardly any of the people I buzz around with have kids. Whats not to love though:

Now all my wife and me need to do is raise them for the next 18 years!

Weekly World News: 1979 - 2007

2007-07-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

Its a sad day when the legendary Weekly World News decides to close the doors on its printed edition. It gave us the stories other papers feared to publish and I can't help but think there is a sinister reason for the decision to stop.

Farewell BatBoy!

Back to work!

2007-07-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

Ok so after the birth of my son 3 weeks ago I am heading back to work tomorrow! That means a return to blogging too.