Located at the mouth of the River Thames, the gateway to Port of New London, Connecticut, at the eastern end of Long Island is New London Ledge Lighthouse. Built in 1909 on the ledge of the Southwest, the lighthouse was originally called the Southwest Ledge Light, but to avoid confusion with another lighthouse in New Haven, southwest of Ledge Light, the lighthouse was renamed to New London Ledge Light in 1910.

The lighthouse itself is a unique, one-of-a-kind structure with red brick square room covered with a mansard roof (a French type of roof designed to maximize interior space of the attic) and a circular lantern room. To appease the residents who refused to consider an eyesore sitting in the sea, the lighthouse was built in French colonial style architecture in order to harmonize with the great and historic houses on the banks.

The lighthouse was finally built after half a century of petitions requesting an offshore lighthouse – the first in 1845 – from mariners and residents stating the threat to maritime traffic in the area due to the four inadequcy buoys port and The New London Harbor Lighthouse on the shore. The Lighthouse Board detailed the inherent dangers to maritime traffic at New London in Congress in 1902 and 1903, and requested funds for the construction of a lighthouse. Construction was completed in 1909. The U.S. Coast Guard officially took care of the lighthouse in 1939 and still keeps an eye on the place. Most of the lightkeeper ghost stories have come from the Coast Guard crews manning the lighthouse.

New London Ledge is locally known by the nickname Ernie ghost that supposedly pursues the lighthouse. The famous ghost legend Ernie was a lightkeeper allegedly jumped to his death from the roof of the lighthouse after learning that his wife ran off with the captain of the Block Island Ferry in 1936.

Ernie is said to know its presence by opening and closing doors, washing dishes, running light and fog signal, and untying secured boats to let them go. Before the station was automated, the crew of Coast Guard duty reported frequently hearing mysterious knocks at their door in the dormitories in the middle of the night, doors opening and closing, television is turned on and off repeatedly, and pulled the covers to his bed.

New London Ledge Lighthouse was the last remaining lighthouse open Long Island Sound, when it was finally automated in 1987. Since then, reports of Ernie's visits have dramatically decreased, most likely because there is almost never anyone. This seems to be a relief for those who were stuck manning the light house. The last day of the open reading operation shows a log entry, "mastery of a rock of a slow torture. Ernie. Hell on earth light shine. May New London Ledge on forever, because I'm through. I will see from afar while drinking a beer. "

There have been investigations into the lighthouse. Late 90s, a TV reporter from Japan spent a night inside the lighthouse to investigate the story of Ernie, whispers and noises were heard during the night, audible on camera. The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), which have been known for his series "Ghost Hunters" on Sci-Fi Channel, investigated the site in 2005, but made important observations.

Today, the lighthouse is leased by the Coast Guard to the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation, partly funded by the City of New London. The beacon is used as a classroom sea, the Coast Guard while still maintaining the automated light. The group plans to eventually open the lighthouse as a museum and can offer overnight accommodation.

Thanks to technology, many people have an almost scientific method of locating and contacting ghosts. All you need do is a search in its local search engine for "ghost hunting" to see the number of sites dedicated to all sorts of gadgets and gizmos that are considered all the necessary equipment for the intrepid ghost hunter. I prefer a simpler method myself.

The detection of ghosts is something that can make use of the inner psyche alone. Now before you dismiss what I say hand to consider these points:

• Have you ever known who was at the other end of the phone before I answer this?
• Have you ever known that something strange or dangerous would happen and it does?
• Have you ever experienced déjà vu?
• Have you ever been thinking about an old friend or relative and then get in touch from scratch?
• Have you ever had an uneasy feeling the first time they enter a strange house?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may feel a ghost. All you need do is first to be quiet, calm and quiet. Tune your mind inwards and exclude the first levels of sound is heard (birds, cars, children, anything like that). Next listen to the sounds of the house makes – appliances, creaking joints, windows and stuff blows. Now hear sounds below the initial home of the sounds he hears.

At first you may have trouble hearing anything, but focusing on their inner calm, sit down and think that the top of the head is fully open and emits a brilliant white light. The head part has a higher chakra and is simply to inform you of the lies paranormal – all have one. Now you can play at home.

If you feel some kind of presence do not jump or get angry – after all that is what has been trying to do, right? If you feel uncomfortable in any way, just imagine the white light completely surrounding you like a giant bubble and I promise you will not come to any harm. You can take a step back from its investigation at any time you do well the resident ghost or any damage to yourself at all.

The best place to do this is to practice at home first. Obviously, there are ghosts in every house otherwise society is more accepting of them, but you may be able to adjust to his house and collect the energy that is stored there – the emotions expressed in the house can sometimes persist for centuries later.

Be careful, have fun, protected by its own highest spiritual energy and you might be surprised at what you can find out about houses in your area.

What if you are trying to introduce your cat to your home – and your house is haunted? How to present your new cat to the ghosts that, well, can be part of your family?

Yes, I know, most people probably raise a scornful nostril on this. I suspect that most do not believe in the supernatural, and to tell the truth, you should not either.

I have a scientific basis, having graduated in chemistry and worked as an industrial chemist for many years. As such, I am fully aware that science does not recognize the Supernatural.

Now, I have to qualify. In the 1970s there was a constant movement by the scientific community to investigate supernatural phenomena, and a whole number of the journal Science was devoted to her. After several years of research, the community concluded that the supernatural does not exist – mainly due to supernatural phenomena are not reproducible.

For a fact to be determined by the scientific method must be reproducible – identical results should be obtained under identical conditions for all researchers to repeat the same experiment. Because of this, science has concluded that the supernatural does not exist. The experimental results were not repeatable.

It was susceptible to the Scientific Method.

But the nagging question remains: if a measurable phenomenon is not reproducible, it means that it is not there?

Modern quantum physics has reopened the possibility of other realms that can not be measured or perceived. Stephen Hawking has suggested that the reality we are nothing more than a statistical summary of all possible parallel realities – none of which can be measured directly – that arise because of the options, well, we've done.

Now, I'm not a quantum physicist, but for me this would indicate that there are indeed other realms beside which we live we can not see.

But maybe your cat can. In particular, there is a mystique surrounding the black cat, I have tried to discredit my article "The Black Cat is just a cat." I still hold my belief that there is "bad luck" associated with a black cat, but I have to admit something.

My black cat acting very strangely on Halloween.

Of course, Santana (warm winds of California) is blown through the house and had a lot of strange noises and movements that occurred because of the wind.

But still …

It was as if he was feeling something more at stake. Something that was not there.

Well, many people think cats are psychic. Bill Murray found a psychic cat in "Broken Flowers", while visiting an ex-girlfriend who was a "Cat Whisperer". Your cat sat and stared without blinking for the duration of your visit. He asked his ex-girlfriend's cat, and she replied, "He says you have a hidden agenda."

Cats seem to have some kind of special knowledge or perception of the world that we humans lack. Many cat owners attest to the experience of having your cat arch its back, growling and spitting at something that "does not exist".

So, if this is the case, that at least some cats are sensitive to the supernatural and therefore sensitive to ghosts, ghost hunters perhaps as people TAPS (Ghost Hunters "on SciFi Channel), http: / / www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/) could consider the determination of these cats and take them to places frequented by those looking into.Ordering the execution of the miners as the caged canary mine as indicators of poison gas.

Who knows? These "Ghost detectors feline" may be more reliable than some of the high-tech devices and infrared sound recording systems TAPS used to provide indications of the wayward spirits. These instruments sometimes give false readings due to lazy owners who do not fix their malfunctioning of transformers and fuse boxes.

Perhaps a black cat, not arch your back, because of electromagnetism to escape a faulty fuse box, could reliably "spit" a real ghost.

Who knows?

© 2006 John Young, All rights reserved.

I am a big fan of the show Ghost Hunters which is usually shown in the United States in the Sci-Fi channel. A team called TAPS (the Atlantic Paranormal Society) is a group of professional ghost hunters / Busters, who are led by two plumbers, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson. Yes, you read that right, plumbers. His interest in the paranormal came from customers who complain about the activities of strangers in her house while they went about their plumbing. Usually these were noises of any broken pipes or weak bases, but eventually sparked his curiosity and became more interested in the paranormal and everything connected with it. Over the years, extensive studies on ghosts, apparitions and sightings have become the leading paranormal team in the country and the world. They are usually called by the home or business owners to investigate and help solve any mysteries they might harbor.

One of my very favorite episodes would have to be in that visited the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. For those of you who are Stephen King fans, you'll realize that this is the same hotel where he wrote his famous book (and later to become a cult classic movie) – The Shining – although the hotel was renamed to 'El Mirador '. On a visit to Stanley with his wife, Tabitha, stayed in room 217, where he vowed that after his arrival and a quick dinner, returned to the room to find his clothes and boxes had been carefully arranged in the closet. None of the employees had entered his hotel room that night.

TAPS for the assignment of a special Halloween episode, decided to document to see if the rumors of ghosts and paranormal activity are true. The hotel was emptied for the night, leaving only the taps team to do what they wanted. The investigation began sometime around midnight and Jason Hawes chose to stay in room 217, but not before creating night vision cameras that recorded everything while he was asleep. There was a deathly silence in the room when he fell into a light sleep. Nothing happened for awhile, but suddenly the closet door (which had been left open) began to close itself. There was a click as if the latches on the inside and then silence again. As a viewer, I can safely say that she was shocked at the sight of that, and I am one of the most skeptical would never know. There was no wind and no other indication that someone entered the room. How does one explain that rationally?

A second test that stood out to me happened when both Jason and Grant went to the basement of the hotel, with teams called EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena). These are often unexplained voices that can be recorded on tape or digital recorders that were not heard by human ears at the time was recorded. While in the basement, which began making routine questions – 'Are you here with us? Show yourself? Give us a sign? "And so on. Normally, do not expect anything in return, but not hurt to ask all the same. However, everyone (and this includes the viewer) could clearly hear the sound of laughter of a child and a voice saying "Hello?" too. Of course bewildered men, who wondered whether they were actually hearing things, so they asked again, this time, the voice was much stronger. "Hello ? this invisible voice cried, then laughed as if to find much fun in playing with the mortals in her presence. I do not think I've seen its features take a look so pale, and these are the men who are skeptical in their own right.They do more to disprove ghost activities than to actually prove that there are – if they can help.

Once closed all the evidence, (there were also reports of faint 20s music being heard from the ballroom and in the elevators), there was no doubt in the minds of the members faucets that the hotel was extremely pleased in every way shape or form . Do not give all the credit, but short story by Stephen King, has been in effect this hotel, apparently in the middle of nowhere, one of the most active especially on Halloween.

Stanley's story itself is quite interesting, and I always find myself trying to read the stories of old hotels and the people who frequented them. I think every room has a story to tell, that beneath the aroma of fresh pine and polished, clean sheets and the sun is faint but dark of unsolved mysteries. Was that room once occupied by a troubled couple who tried to repair the damage and things not going so well? There was a great fight, blood stains on the bed and the floor? Elements were broken, leaving a slight dent but hardly noticeable on the wall? Look at that closet carefully, you can see faint scratch marks on it? Was someone locked in there and let it starve for days? When you look out the window, do you imagine someone leaping to his death or suicide or a crime of passion? Sure, these might sound extreme, but you can never erase all the possibilities of the mind.

In the story, 1408 written by Stephen King (and soon to be a movie staring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson), King takes the reader on the Dolphin Hotel in New York. Michael Enslin is a writer who writes about haunted buildings and usually spends a night in each of them to get an idea of what the place is like. He hears the story of Room 1408 of Mr. Olin, who lets him know of the past history of the room of suicides, accidental deaths and strange perceptions. But Enslin is convinced that Olin is trying to scare and decides to stay in the room for the night. Unfortunately, even last an hour because, although no ghosts appear, the room playing with his perception of reality, causing him to have visions and strange and frightening thoughts.

Hotels, hostels and even a simple bed and breakfast places great fodder raising horror muse in all of us. So try to have fun with it. Go to Google, research on (local) hotels that have haunted pasts and try to book yourself and a friend or two to at least a weekend stay. Take your notebook and pencil or pen, and if you're daring enough, a recorder, and do some ghost hunting of your own. I'd recommend a camera, but I do not think most ghosts like their pictures taken. Document any and all 'odd' things that you realize, and maybe if you sit still long enough and listen hard, you could only get that thrill of consciousness in the back, feel the little hairs on the back his neck on the rise, and finally, the soft, feather like touch and presence of a new partner in the abandonment to say hello.

Being a big fan of the TV show, Most Haunted I started to visit some of their locations. Last week I went to the inn in Abergavenny Skirrid it was a fascinating and beautiful place, full of history, but nothing happened there. However, three weeks before I went to the Old Ram Inn in Wotton Under Edge.

I thought it would be great just to go and take a picture outside, just to say we had been there, but as luck would have when we got there, the owner John was outside watering her plants. My mother and I thought it would be a nice gesture to go up and greet him and make a donation to keep updating this historic building. It was really nice, and insisted on showing us around and had traveled all the way to Cardiff.

Unfortunately, I only had a normal digital camera (no night vision) and the house was very dark, so I could not see much. Anyway we were where the tomb was open and I took these little 3 Funny red lights in my camera (I have had this recording) I'm not sure if it's paranormal or not, but I could not see with the naked eye.

Then we moved to the farm (where Stuart Most Haunted had an encounter with a spirit), but fortunately nothing happened to us while we were there. We went upstairs and John (the owner) said he had leave and went abroad. I'm trying to highlight the fact that we were alone, because of what happened next. The building is very small so that if someone had been there that I knew of him.

Anyway go to the registration room witches and all trying to get an orb in vain. Then we went into the loft of a third floor and asked if anyone was there to make noise. At the end of that sentence we heard 3 taps aloud. I can not tell what it was maybe it was outside or something, but it sounded as if coming from the attic for two. We were too scared to ask again so I guess we'll never know.

So after we decided to return to the garden, but before going I felt compelled to take one last look at the witches room again. I wish I never did because I went there again and I swear that there was a book that was in the bottom of the bed and I'm 99.9 percent sure he did not exist before. What frightened me most was the title of the book – "hexes and curses."

Anyway we thanked the owner – John for their hospitality and made a hasty exit.

You can make your own mind so far, but I swear that this is a true account of our visit to the Ancient Ram Inn!

~By Bill Stone~

If you’re just now joining us, you’re late. Go stand in the corner.

If you must know, I’m in the process of explaining to the world the difference between Ghost Hunting, and Paranormal Investigation. This is the second one. If you missed the first one, you’re welcome to go read it by clicking HERE. I’ll wait.

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Alright, we’ve successfully broken down the good and bad stereotypes of the Ghost Hunting field, so now it’s time to tear Paranormal Investigation apart .

Paranormal Investigation
Paranormal Investigation IS a pseudo-science, but serious investigators do everything they can to stay within the realm of scientific law. Like I said in the first part, Paranormal Investigation is a completely different sport from Ghost Hunting. The difference lies primarily in the methodology, and the basic reasoning behind it, which all boils down to evidence and proof.

Ghost Hunters, for the most part are in it for the enjoyment of the experience. They see their ghosts. They’re happy, and it’s all the proof, or evidence a Ghost Hunter ever needs. It’s more about what I call “Personal Proof”. A well adjusted ghost hunter doesn’t care if anyone believes him. He KNOWS what he had experienced, and it was proof enough to him.

A Paranormal Investigator looks for quantifiable facts… Not ghosts. An investigator KNOWS that his/her personal beliefs, or feelings mean absolutely nothing. It’s all about what he or she can PROVE beyond doubt. Because of this, Paranormal Investigators WANT their evidence scrutinized. They WANT their evidence shot full of holes by skeptics because on the VERY rare case when their evidence remains solid, and without holes, then and ONLY then will their claims hold water.

THAT is the moment of victory.

Investigators know that evidence not analyzed to death, or scrutinized over is nothing but unreliable garbage to other serious people wanting facts. Because of that, they work within scientific methodology. They make a hypothesis. they test it to prove or disprove it. Feeling is irrelevant. Opinion is irrelevant. This method is done repeatedly to obtain consistent information in order to become scientific law.

At this time, nobody has succeeded in making any paranormal based scientific laws.

The Good
1. Skepticism is the default position in science. Because of that, no conclusions are leapt to, and all things are scrutinized over. If any lasting progress is going to be made in the field, it will be done scientifically through investigation, experimentation, and analysis. Paranormal Investigators will be the ones to make it happen. The random, and inconsistent methods of Ghost Hunting just won’t cut it.
2. Paranormal Investigators do not allow their personal beliefs, or feelings to sway their findings. Because of this, they are so much more accurate in diagnosing whether they’re dealing with a natural phenomenon, or a supernatural phenomenon.
3. Paranormal Investigators do not use any types of paranormal based tools in their investigations. Ouija Boards, mediums, dowsing rods, sensitives, and so forth are all unproven methods and are OFF LIMITS for anyone in it for the science, or real evidence. No cynical argument can later be made about their unproven methods, or tools.
4. Paranormal investigation is bound by scientific law, and fact. All SERIOUS investigators worldwide follow these rules, and principles creating standards and consistency.
5. When an investigator finally gains a piece of evidence that passes all of the rigorous tests, analysis, and scrutiny, they REALLY have something worth talking about. The thrill of victory is so much more sweet due to the fact that it’s such a rare occurrence.
6. Progress & discovery can take place. Real progress can happen when new things are scientifically discovered, and studied. With the study of these new things, there is potential for so much discovery, and that, in my opinion is the most exciting thing there is.

The Bad
1. Skepticism is the default position in science. For progress, that’s a wonderful thing, but for someone like myself who grew up loving spooky stuff, and thriving on paranormal experiences, the hard lined skepticism in paranormal investigations tends to numb that initial sense of wonder and excitement. Sometimes I wish I had just stayed a Ghost Hunter.
2. Many investigators become like robots. Their personal beliefs are buried so deep that they’ve lost their ability to see beyond their black, and white rules, and methodology. They can become a bit closed minded.
3. Despite all of their scientific methodology, and sticking to their rules, they’ve still made no progress whatsoever in the field.
4. Many Paranormal Investigators get discouraged due to lack of results, or lack of heart, and instead of just trying to enjoy things, they simply give up.
5. Investigation can be boring. I’m not talking about sitting there on the investigation, and waiting for something to happen, because I personally consider that to be fun. I’m talking about AFTER the investigation. It doesn’t happen often when you REALLY have anything substantial in the line of experiences or SOLID evidence to show off or talk about.

The Ugly
1. A BIG problem with paranormal investigators is that MOST of them are in fact Ghost Hunters who only THINK that they’re Paranormal Investigators. They use bad methodology, mediums, K2 EMF meters as a spirit communication device, and generally believe in their methods so blindly that they cannot see that they’re making no progress. They make us all look bad.
2. Many investigators let this sort of work go to their head, and have delusions of grandeur. They forget that this is supposed to be fun, and get so serious about it to the point where it becomes unhealthy. Many feel that what they’re doing in the field is so much more important than what everyone else is doing, and that they deserve more respect for it. In come the ego problems which are parallel to the Ghost Hunting side.
3. Above, I mentioned delusions of grandeur. Many investigators believe that they are doing such a great service to the world that they deserve monetary payment for their work. Some charge for investigations while others teach “Paranormal Investigation Certification Courses” to pass on their glorious knowledge and make a buck in the process. MANY actually believe that taking peoples money in such a way is actually doing them a favor.
4. Many investigators are only in this field for fame and fortune. It’s creepy, but you have no idea how many leaders of investigation teams I’ve spoken to that THINK that they have a television or movie deal around the corner. I blame TAPS on this abomination.
5. Many investigators feel immense pressure from their peers in the field to produce something of value. This can lead to dishonesty. It happens a lot where a team of investigators get started, and capture absolutely no evidence for a very long time. They get frustrated with how empty their website looks without anything to display on it. Then, they do something unthinkable to the honest investigators out there. they fake evidence to make themselves look good. Either that, or they lower their value by putting pictures of orbs all over their website. Very ugly.

Again, these, like the points made in the Ghost Hunting portion of the article, are merely stereotypes based on years of observation on the paranormal field. Some you’ll agree with, and other’s you’ll just chalk up to me making things up. That’s alright too. If you’re familiar with my writing at all, you know that MOST of what I write has a lot of tongue in cheek aspects. This is no different, but even if you do not agree with these stereotypes, I hope that this article has given you something to think about regarding your own place in the field, and what you’d hope to accomplish.

Ideally, I hope that it might help you avoid some of the common ‘personal pitfalls’ that I’ve seen a lot of Investigators & Hunters struggle through.

Thanks for reading!

Bill Stone
Founder
Beyond Paranormal Investigations