Thursday, March 9, 2017

Voodoo Doll Causes Trouble in Nicaragua

Photo via: vivanicaragua13
Santa Tomas, Nicaragua, a small village in the southern region of the country, has been struck with a bizarre series of incidents being attributed to black magic.

Citizens of the village appear to be suffering from "grisi siknis," or, "crazy sickness" in English. The syndrome has been known to affect communities in Central America.

Symptoms of the condition include dizzy spells, nausea, paranoia, outbursts of anger and periods of 'rapid frenzy' that include wild movements and out of control behaviors. Those suffering the condition can become very violent during their episodes. Victims also have visions of demons and spirits while in their trance like state and are believed to be possessed during their fits.

Over thirty villagers have now been affected by the symptoms. Even the contagious aspect of the condition is odd. When a person is infected, they announce the name of the next person who will come down with the disease.

One woman in the village attempted to help her friends by creating an herbal remedy for the condition. Marisella, who makes herbal potions, mixed up a remedy to pour over the affected victims hoping it would drive away the evil spirits.

She determined that the source of the trouble was black magic and that someone intentionally worked a spell to affect the village. Following up on her theory, Marisella believes that she found the source of the dark spell: a voodoo doll.

The doll was found hidden in the village. It wears a black ribbon and has a cross drawn across its face. Marisella and the other villagers believe that the doll was used to place a curse on them and send evil spirits into their midst.

The people decided to burn the doll believing that such an act would break the dark magic placed on them.

Mass possession, mass hysteria, or something else at work?
No further updates have been reported on current conditions in the village, only time will tell if the burning ceremony has somehow cleansed the community and its people.


Monday, March 6, 2017

Flying Cigars and Giant Humanoids in 1950s Argentina

In the 1950's a series of strange reports came from a remote region of Argentina. The incidents caught the attention of those tracking UFO reports at the time and the activity was attributed to possible visitors from another planet.

But looking at the details closely, with an open mind, we find that these reports move into territory uncomfortable for many investigators--a case that appears to have elements of both UFO activity and evidence of giant humanoids with traits similar to Sasquatch.

Flying cigar shaped crafts, strange cries ringing out in the wilderness, giant human like prints high in the mountains and more. Here are more of the details:

The Atacama region of Argentina, location of strange incidents.
Puna Atacama, Argentina. A desolate region located on the heights of the Cordilleras, near the country's border with Chile.

Statements were made to reporters in 1956 that indicated there was evidence of:

"...strange beings on the snowy caps of the Macon, a mountain which rises to a height of 6,700 meters."

"The witnesses said that they had seen tracks, human-like in characteristics, of giant proportions, not only in the frozen sands of the Macon, but also in the snow on the pampas where they abode."

Apparently, the tracks were first seen and reported a year before, in the fall of 1955. Coinciding with the tracks were reports of a "colossal commotion" on the side of the mountain. People in the region believed that an aerial object had made impact with the mountain. The incident site was never investigated and there were no reports of missing planes in the area at the time.

Some locals stated that the object that crashed into the side of the mountain was a "giant airship of a strange form like a Havana cigar."
"Flying cigars" similar to this were being reported in the skies over Argentina.
In fact, locals made numerous statements that they had seen craft shaped like "flying cigars" in the skies over Salar de Guisare. A few weeks after these reports, people living in the area started to talk about the strange tracks being found high in the mountains.

The two incidents may be unrelated, but UFO trackers of the period speculated there was a connection. It was, after all, the 1950's a time when people were convinced that the Earth could be invaded by spacemen at any time. One researcher wrote:

"...these facts have given rise to the possibility that extra-terrestrial beings are landing on the planet earth!"

According to an article of the time:

"It is to be noted that due to the vast extension of snowy pampas on the heights of the Atacama, the place is ideal for such landings of airships of gigantic proportions, and may well indeed be related to the declaration of the residents of the region, who affirm that they have seen flying over the region, strange ships whose length was calculated at 300 meters!

The National Gendarmes supplied the newspapers with some photographs showing the passage of the strange craft in the skies over Salta and these were similar to those seen in other parts of the world."
(I have been unable to locate these photos as of the posting of this article)

Purportedly, there was more evidence and testimony gathered from locals as the incidents were probed further:

"Informants declared that on occasions they have heard, with great clarity, strange cries resounding during the time of the setting sun and especially when the creeks began to freeze at nightfall.

In addition, people have said that, among the crags where the condors and eagles make their abodes, they have found quantities of these birds dead and partially destroyed, and their nests ravaged.

The witnesses also said that in all the cases, near or around the nests, they have seen giant human-like tracks which cannot be attributed to bears, as was thought in the beginning."

Apparently, according to locals, although the details of these incidents were known for some time, they were not reported for fear of ridicule.

Locals in the area, especially those who ventured into the mountains and saw the evidence, believed that the incidents were proof of the intrusion of strange visitors in the region.

Apparently, a "well known geologist" by the name of Spitch reported seeing the anomalous tracks in the mountains which prompted other people to come forward with their testimonies.

What exactly was going on in the skies over Argentina? Experimental aircraft? Actual extraterrestrial visitors?

And what made the giant, human like tracks high in the mountains while raiding the nests of dangerous raptors and other birds?

Some researchers at the time made immediate connections believing that giants had come down to visit from another planet. Later researchers dismissed the incidents because they didn't fit a comfortable paradigm of nuts and bolts UFOlogy. But in a quiet village in Argentina, locals knew that something unusual was in their midst.

Some reports of these incidents were originally filed by Horacio Gonzalez Ganteaume.


Sunday, March 5, 2017

Strange Dimensions Interview

Last month I made another appearance on Rosemary Ellen Guiley's show, Strange Dimensions. It's always great to catch up with Rosemary and our discussion ranged across a number of paranormal topics including a rundown on one of the most notorious, nasty locations I've investigated in recent years.

The show is now available in the KGRA archives. While you're there, be sure to check out some of Rosemary's other shows, she always brings great topics to the table.


Saturday, March 4, 2017

McRaven Mansion Investigation

Known as Mississippi's "Most Haunted House" the McRaven mansion is a pre-Civil War home in historic Vicksburg.

The first part of the home was built in 1797. A time when George Washington was still president and before Mississippi was even a state. The home was expanded in 1836 during the "empire" period and again in 1849 when a prominent manufacturer added a Greek Revival style portion to the house.

With its long history, there's a range of spirits associated with McRaven including: Mary Elizabeth Howard who tragically died after giving birth in 1836, John Bob, a prominent businessman murdered by Union troops after the siege of Vicksburg, and members of the notorious Murrell gang, bandits and highway robbers active in the region 200 years ago.

Society of the Supernatural recently spent some time in Mississippi and had a chance to investigate this amazing, historic location.

We had some crazy activity, especially in the oldest portion of the home, and got confirmation on a reported "peeping ghost" that numerous people have reported in the home's front room.

Special thanks to Brian Riley of the Mississippi Paranormal Society & of course, the owners of McRaven for having us in. We loved the place and look forward to returning.

Check out some of our time at McRaven below. There are several videos from this investigation as our livestream was interrupted. More videos available at the Society of the Supernatural Youtube page.


Please subscribe!! Lots more to come.





Friday, March 3, 2017

Paranormal Zone TV: Haunted Toys

Great to be on Paranormal Zone TV last night along with my friend and co-author Ross Allison. It's always a good time to speak with show host Norene Balovich and the hour rushed by.

We covered some of the material from Ross and I's new book, Haunted Toys. Creepy dolls, spooky toys and even some haunted locations that relate to the subject.

Catch the show in replay if you missed it live:




Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Beyond Reality Radio

Tonight!

I'm on Beyond Reality Radio with Jason Hawes from Ghost Hunters and his co-host JV Johnson.

My Haunted Toys co-author, Ross Allison, will also be on board as we delve into the world of creepy dolls, haunted toys and weird games. Tune in:

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Spaced Out Radio

Had a great time last night on Spaced Out Radio. Dave Scott is an excellent host, and we dug in with a lot of questions beyond the normal radio Q & A, exactly the kind of serious discussion on the supernatural that I enjoy!

If you missed the show, check it out at the website below.