To begin my exploration of the topic of Cryptids, creatures or animals not yet identified by science, I want to present a documentary by my favorite paranormal video channel, Top5s. This brief documentary is on one of my favorite cryptids, The Mothman.
Now, I could write my own article on the Mothman but the truth is that there is so little information on it that Top5s summarized it better than I could. This was made back in 2015 so I will be sure to keep up on any new information that may come forward about our friend Mothman.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
NAU's Morton Hall, Final: Skeptical Conclusion
After an extensive search through academic and periodical archives I came away with a few solid facts. Some years following Kathy's alleged suicide, one of the custodians that were said to have found her came forward to confirm that she and another woman working there at the time had indeed found the body of a young woman hanged in the closet of room 200A. This incident is most likely the basis of the Kathy stories, however since the exact date was never given it's not possible to infer whether 1953 was the correct year. Given this and the fact that students weren't allowed to remain in the residence halls over winter until 1956 and that there are no records around 1953 of a suicide on campus, it is more likely that if the body found was the result of a suicide due to severe depression based on the idea of being homeless during the winter it happened during the 1954-55 or 55-56 school year.
My visit and interview proved to be, at best, inconclusive. I didn't expect to have an experience for myself, but the lack of tangible evidence or testimonial to the affirmative makes me doubt the validity of a possible haunting. One of the telltale signs of an active haunting is consistent activity. Since the information I received indicates that there's been no paranormal activity for almost two years, the idea that a haunting is occurring is very unlikely.
It's important to understand that this is, by no means, a full or complete investigation. As I was working under a time constraint I was unable to explore every avenue of inquiry. My research, while as thorough as I could be given my schedule and deadline, is very much open to further inquiry and investigation.
I'd very much like to revisit the Morton Hall ghost legend in the future if I'm able. Some avenues I would like to pursue include: further investigation into reports and obituaries surrounding the 1954-1956 school years; interviews with former residents of Morton Hall, specifically those who have lived in room 200A; possible attempts to expel or exorcise spirits from the Hall; and other unexplained events that may not seem related to Kathy.
I hope you've enjoyed reading about the research I performed on this interesting tale on the NAU campus. This is just the first of, hopefully, many personal investigative articles I want to write. However, given my current schedule, it's unlikely to be anytime soon. Flagstaff itself is full of paranormal related stories and events and I would love to check them out in the future. I'm also in a unique location that is conveniently close to one of my favorite paranormal locations: Stardust Ranch.
In the meantime, look forward to regular updates (2-3 times a week if I'm able) filled with information on paranormal events, cryptid sightings, occult traditions, and much more. Also expect to see content from other sources dealing with paranormal or occult topics (all of which will be credited to their original creators).
Happy Haunting!
My visit and interview proved to be, at best, inconclusive. I didn't expect to have an experience for myself, but the lack of tangible evidence or testimonial to the affirmative makes me doubt the validity of a possible haunting. One of the telltale signs of an active haunting is consistent activity. Since the information I received indicates that there's been no paranormal activity for almost two years, the idea that a haunting is occurring is very unlikely.
It's important to understand that this is, by no means, a full or complete investigation. As I was working under a time constraint I was unable to explore every avenue of inquiry. My research, while as thorough as I could be given my schedule and deadline, is very much open to further inquiry and investigation.
I'd very much like to revisit the Morton Hall ghost legend in the future if I'm able. Some avenues I would like to pursue include: further investigation into reports and obituaries surrounding the 1954-1956 school years; interviews with former residents of Morton Hall, specifically those who have lived in room 200A; possible attempts to expel or exorcise spirits from the Hall; and other unexplained events that may not seem related to Kathy.
I hope you've enjoyed reading about the research I performed on this interesting tale on the NAU campus. This is just the first of, hopefully, many personal investigative articles I want to write. However, given my current schedule, it's unlikely to be anytime soon. Flagstaff itself is full of paranormal related stories and events and I would love to check them out in the future. I'm also in a unique location that is conveniently close to one of my favorite paranormal locations: Stardust Ranch.
In the meantime, look forward to regular updates (2-3 times a week if I'm able) filled with information on paranormal events, cryptid sightings, occult traditions, and much more. Also expect to see content from other sources dealing with paranormal or occult topics (all of which will be credited to their original creators).
Happy Haunting!
Monday, November 28, 2016
5 Most Cursed Religious & Horror Movie Sets Of All Time
Who doesn't like a good movie? Well, actually, I prefer bad movies so I can complain about them afterward. Other than myself, most people enjoy watching movies. Sometimes I wonder if the folks who made a film enjoyed making it as much as I enjoy watching it. Well, in this video from Top5s, we see the stories of some production crews who probably didn't enjoy the process very much.
Now, many of these situations could be simple coincidences. People get injured on set, technical malfunctions happen, people die all the time for no reason at all. However, there may be some validity to the idea that something more than bad luck was at work here (especially in the case of the so-called Dybbuk Box which I intend to write about in the future.)
Now, many of these situations could be simple coincidences. People get injured on set, technical malfunctions happen, people die all the time for no reason at all. However, there may be some validity to the idea that something more than bad luck was at work here (especially in the case of the so-called Dybbuk Box which I intend to write about in the future.)
NAU's Morton Hall, Part III: In Her House
I was arrived at Morton Hall around 1pm and was let in by one of the current residents. While waiting in the lobby area I couldn't help but notice that, though the building possessed many common modern amenities, it still maintained a rustic, early 1900s aesthetic. There was definitely something a little unsettling about the atmosphere. The lighting was sufficient and yet felt somewhat dim or muted which caused the walls to exhibit a yellowed, aged color. Hallways were empty at the time so a feeling of loneliness permeated throughout. Eventually, I was met by the RA and, taking a seat in the lobby, I began my interview.
I asked a number of simple questions relating to the Kathy stories and purported events surrounding her. Disappointingly, I got very few confirmative answers. During the two years this particular RA had been in residence no incidents matching anything I had read about had occurred. No paint had peeled, no unseasonal cold spots had been experienced, and none of the residents, male or female, had reported any manner of unexplained disturbances. However, just because this one person had had no paranormal experiences didn't immediately dissuade me from the idea that the Hall was host to a paranormal presence.
The RA and I proceeded with a brief tour of the residence hall. We first visited the basement areas where the previously mentioned "hauntings" had occurred. The basement was surprisingly modern looking and well lit for a building that exhibited rustic trappings in all other parts. The area had been fitted with movement sensor based lighting and felt comfortably warm, not the slightest draft. Nothing I could see in the basement could have been construed as remotely paranormal.
Moving on to the actual hall itself, I encountered the same aesthetic and feeling as the lobby area. A good number of the public study rooms were decorated with period appropriate paintings and furniture. This atmosphere was certainly unsettling and the RA mentioned that even they still felt somewhat creeped out by the decor. Another area of note was a doorway that led out to a condemned balcony which had been reported to have it's lock opened at regular intervals by Kathy. At the time I saw it, it was still firmly locked and my guide informed me that only a few very select people even had a key to the padlock. No inspection over the last two years had revealed any attempt to open the lock. Once again, due to the lighting and paint composition, all the walls appeared to have a slightly pinkish color to them. Pink being the color of choice for Kathy in the stories started to make sense seeing as anyone walking through the halls would be met by the color illusion. Yet again, upon inspection, there appeared to be no activity that would suggest peeling had occurred nor had the walls been repainted in the last two years either.
Our last stop was Room 200A where Kathy's suicide allegedly took place. I was able to speak with the current residents who informed me that they had not had any manner of unexplained incident. The did mention that the ventilation slat above their door had at one point seemed to open itself but were convinced that a stiff wind had blown the unlatched panel open.
I thanked my host for showing me around and letting me ask my questions before leaving. I agreed to keep their anonymity with regards to public publication. With this visit completed I began to compile my findings and lay out my conclusions.
I asked a number of simple questions relating to the Kathy stories and purported events surrounding her. Disappointingly, I got very few confirmative answers. During the two years this particular RA had been in residence no incidents matching anything I had read about had occurred. No paint had peeled, no unseasonal cold spots had been experienced, and none of the residents, male or female, had reported any manner of unexplained disturbances. However, just because this one person had had no paranormal experiences didn't immediately dissuade me from the idea that the Hall was host to a paranormal presence.
The RA and I proceeded with a brief tour of the residence hall. We first visited the basement areas where the previously mentioned "hauntings" had occurred. The basement was surprisingly modern looking and well lit for a building that exhibited rustic trappings in all other parts. The area had been fitted with movement sensor based lighting and felt comfortably warm, not the slightest draft. Nothing I could see in the basement could have been construed as remotely paranormal.
Moving on to the actual hall itself, I encountered the same aesthetic and feeling as the lobby area. A good number of the public study rooms were decorated with period appropriate paintings and furniture. This atmosphere was certainly unsettling and the RA mentioned that even they still felt somewhat creeped out by the decor. Another area of note was a doorway that led out to a condemned balcony which had been reported to have it's lock opened at regular intervals by Kathy. At the time I saw it, it was still firmly locked and my guide informed me that only a few very select people even had a key to the padlock. No inspection over the last two years had revealed any attempt to open the lock. Once again, due to the lighting and paint composition, all the walls appeared to have a slightly pinkish color to them. Pink being the color of choice for Kathy in the stories started to make sense seeing as anyone walking through the halls would be met by the color illusion. Yet again, upon inspection, there appeared to be no activity that would suggest peeling had occurred nor had the walls been repainted in the last two years either.
Our last stop was Room 200A where Kathy's suicide allegedly took place. I was able to speak with the current residents who informed me that they had not had any manner of unexplained incident. The did mention that the ventilation slat above their door had at one point seemed to open itself but were convinced that a stiff wind had blown the unlatched panel open.
I thanked my host for showing me around and letting me ask my questions before leaving. I agreed to keep their anonymity with regards to public publication. With this visit completed I began to compile my findings and lay out my conclusions.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
10 MYSTICAL CRYPTIDS That May Actually EXIST!
For those of you who may not be the most comfortable or accepting of the possibility of ghosts, spirits, and demons, I offer you another road along which you may experience or investigate the paranormal:
Cryptozoology. Cryptozoology is the search for and study of previously unidentified or mythical creatures. In fact, a good number of commonly known animal species started of as cryptids (creatures that fall under the umbrella of cryptozoology) such as the Platypus, the Manatee, and the Giant Squid.
I present here, to you, a video made by the delightful Matthew Santoro in which he introduces 10 cryptids that may exist.
Matthew Santoro, as you may have noticed, brings a healthy dose of humor and levity to the topics he covers. Considering that many go to dark places such as serial murderers and death, it's a welcome relief from the overly serious and dire tones many other content creators produce. All the while he maintains generally neutral and without explicit opinion unless given for comedic value.
Cryptozoology. Cryptozoology is the search for and study of previously unidentified or mythical creatures. In fact, a good number of commonly known animal species started of as cryptids (creatures that fall under the umbrella of cryptozoology) such as the Platypus, the Manatee, and the Giant Squid.
I present here, to you, a video made by the delightful Matthew Santoro in which he introduces 10 cryptids that may exist.
Matthew Santoro, as you may have noticed, brings a healthy dose of humor and levity to the topics he covers. Considering that many go to dark places such as serial murderers and death, it's a welcome relief from the overly serious and dire tones many other content creators produce. All the while he maintains generally neutral and without explicit opinion unless given for comedic value.
NAU's Morton Hall, Part II: The Search for Kathy
The first thing I wanted to find out was if the story surrounding Kathy's apparent suicide were true. Like an halfway decent researcher, I went to the local newspaper archives dated to winter of 1953. After a good amount of searching page by page through about 20 volumes of the Arizona Sun spanning from September 1953 to January 1954, I came up with nothing, not so much as a passing mention of a suicide on NAU's campus nor an obituary. In fact, aside from one or two obituaries for elderly citizens, most of the articles were concerned with escalating tensions in Korea and the march of McCarthyism.
It may be worth noting that an alternate telling of the Kathy story states that rather than a breakup, Kathy's fiancee was killed in action during wartime. I was able to dismiss this since, as of late 1953, military action in Korea had not begun. Therefore, the likelihood of a young American man being killed in armed conflict was almost null.
I began to think that maybe the incident wasn't reported to the public as a political move to keep the institution's reputation positive. But, I thought, the school's own records wouldn't lie. As such, I began pouring through the yearbook archives. To my delight, I found that a Kathy was listed as a resident of Morton Hall during the 1953/54 school year. Unfortunately, the same woman made an appearance in photos and text related to events that had occurred during the Spring 1954 semester. Yet another dead end.
My last resort was to look through the school library's special collections. During my inquiry with the curator, I learned that they had been collecting articles related to the very haunting which I was investigating. I took the opportunity to look through the special file. While most of it was a lot of the same articles on the Kathy story that had started me on this quest, I was able to learn some significant information about Morton Hall itself. Before Winter 1956 students weren't permitted to stay in the dormitories during the Winter Break period. This lends credence to the possibility that being unable to return home caused Kathy extreme stress and worry.
Sadly, this would be the last bit of information I could gather through purely academic research. It seems I would have to be more active in my search for answers. Luckily, being a student of NAU, I had a unique means of looking into the stories. I set up an interview with the current Resident Assistant of Kathy's wing in Morton Hall. Through this avenue was I able to gather the best possible evidence available to me without performing a full, scientific inquest.
It may be worth noting that an alternate telling of the Kathy story states that rather than a breakup, Kathy's fiancee was killed in action during wartime. I was able to dismiss this since, as of late 1953, military action in Korea had not begun. Therefore, the likelihood of a young American man being killed in armed conflict was almost null.
I began to think that maybe the incident wasn't reported to the public as a political move to keep the institution's reputation positive. But, I thought, the school's own records wouldn't lie. As such, I began pouring through the yearbook archives. To my delight, I found that a Kathy was listed as a resident of Morton Hall during the 1953/54 school year. Unfortunately, the same woman made an appearance in photos and text related to events that had occurred during the Spring 1954 semester. Yet another dead end.
My last resort was to look through the school library's special collections. During my inquiry with the curator, I learned that they had been collecting articles related to the very haunting which I was investigating. I took the opportunity to look through the special file. While most of it was a lot of the same articles on the Kathy story that had started me on this quest, I was able to learn some significant information about Morton Hall itself. Before Winter 1956 students weren't permitted to stay in the dormitories during the Winter Break period. This lends credence to the possibility that being unable to return home caused Kathy extreme stress and worry.
Sadly, this would be the last bit of information I could gather through purely academic research. It seems I would have to be more active in my search for answers. Luckily, being a student of NAU, I had a unique means of looking into the stories. I set up an interview with the current Resident Assistant of Kathy's wing in Morton Hall. Through this avenue was I able to gather the best possible evidence available to me without performing a full, scientific inquest.
Monday, November 21, 2016
5 Creepiest & Most Haunted Locations in The World
With winter upon us, we students turn our thoughts toward what we want to do during the break. Some of us have decided to travel somewhere or other as they while away the time. Well, for those of you on the fence about what to do, let me suggest one of these five (well four, since it turns out one has been demolished) locations for you to wander.
I really enjoy this channel as every subject is presented as a question. Each entry typically ends with the narrator asking the viewer "What do you think?" All the evidence is presented in a very neutral manner without any sort of bias and only offers what has been documented. Opinion isn't imposed during the explanations and the conclusion of each entry is filled with logical questions. This embodies true skepticism. It's not a dismissal of topic due to a lack of evidence, but an encouragement to look into things further.
I really enjoy this channel as every subject is presented as a question. Each entry typically ends with the narrator asking the viewer "What do you think?" All the evidence is presented in a very neutral manner without any sort of bias and only offers what has been documented. Opinion isn't imposed during the explanations and the conclusion of each entry is filled with logical questions. This embodies true skepticism. It's not a dismissal of topic due to a lack of evidence, but an encouragement to look into things further.
NAU's Morton Hall, Part I: Kathy's Legend
About a month and a half ago, Oct 2016 for you readers from the future, I was assigned a research paper on any topic I wanted. I chose the paranormal. Living in Flagstaff, there is no shortage of ghost stories ranging from the haunting of the historical mansion of the city's founders to the numerous hotels around town. However, there was on particular story that piqued my interest the most: The ghost of Morton Hall.
Morton Hall is one of the older residence halls on NAU's campus, the university at which I currently study. Located on North Campus, just a bit to the northeast of the North Quad, Morton Hall is a part of a trifecta of halls (which include Taylor and North Hall where Residence Life is located) that have been joined in to a single, larger unit. Like any old building in historic towns and cities, Morton's age has produced its share of spooky stories. A story of two lovers who decided to meet each other late at night in a secret tunnel beneath the building but ended up drowning when the tunnel filled with a sudden flood of water and now strange noises are heard in the walls and pipes of the hall. The tale of a stillborn baby in the hall's basement found in a pool of blood who's cries echo throughout the basement to this day.
Those two stories are, of course, pure fantasy. There are no tunnels beneath the area in question excepting sewage lines nor are there any records documenting any such tunnels ever being found. All there is are old pipes and a building structure that experiences constant temperature fluctuation throughout the year. There are no records of anyone or anything being found dead in the basement much less in a pool of blood which, considering the subject is a baby, is conspicuous. However, there is one story that has yet to be disproved: the story of "Kathy"
Kathy, as she's come to be called, was a young woman student living in the then female only residence hall during the winter of 1953. As one version of the story goes, Kathy had received a letter from her parents stating that, due to a financial crisis, they could no longer afford to bring her home for the winter holiday. At the same time, her fiancee had decided to call off the engagement and end their relationship. Heart broken and falling deeper into depression, Kathy hanged herself inside the closet in room 200A. She has since been witnessed wandering the halls in the blue nightdress she died in, sometimes playing pranks like locking restroom doors that had no locks, opening windows, peeling fresh paint from her favorite pink wall among other things. She has also been known to pull the sheets off of any girls sleeping in the area around the suicide room.
However, she isn't always a trickster. There have been occasional reports of female residents who experience emotional distress such as depression, homesickness, or heartbreak suddenly feeling a warm presence in their room. Some have even reported that they would feel someone was hugging them. After these incidents, the subjects would claim to feel much better about things as though they had received friendly support or loving reassurance. Indeed, Kathy has been likened to a guardian angel of sorts for the girls in Morton hall.
Being of a mind for paranormal matters and mysteries, I took it upon myself to delve into research about the case of Kathy and the history of Morton Hall.
Morton Hall is one of the older residence halls on NAU's campus, the university at which I currently study. Located on North Campus, just a bit to the northeast of the North Quad, Morton Hall is a part of a trifecta of halls (which include Taylor and North Hall where Residence Life is located) that have been joined in to a single, larger unit. Like any old building in historic towns and cities, Morton's age has produced its share of spooky stories. A story of two lovers who decided to meet each other late at night in a secret tunnel beneath the building but ended up drowning when the tunnel filled with a sudden flood of water and now strange noises are heard in the walls and pipes of the hall. The tale of a stillborn baby in the hall's basement found in a pool of blood who's cries echo throughout the basement to this day.
Those two stories are, of course, pure fantasy. There are no tunnels beneath the area in question excepting sewage lines nor are there any records documenting any such tunnels ever being found. All there is are old pipes and a building structure that experiences constant temperature fluctuation throughout the year. There are no records of anyone or anything being found dead in the basement much less in a pool of blood which, considering the subject is a baby, is conspicuous. However, there is one story that has yet to be disproved: the story of "Kathy"
Kathy, as she's come to be called, was a young woman student living in the then female only residence hall during the winter of 1953. As one version of the story goes, Kathy had received a letter from her parents stating that, due to a financial crisis, they could no longer afford to bring her home for the winter holiday. At the same time, her fiancee had decided to call off the engagement and end their relationship. Heart broken and falling deeper into depression, Kathy hanged herself inside the closet in room 200A. She has since been witnessed wandering the halls in the blue nightdress she died in, sometimes playing pranks like locking restroom doors that had no locks, opening windows, peeling fresh paint from her favorite pink wall among other things. She has also been known to pull the sheets off of any girls sleeping in the area around the suicide room.
However, she isn't always a trickster. There have been occasional reports of female residents who experience emotional distress such as depression, homesickness, or heartbreak suddenly feeling a warm presence in their room. Some have even reported that they would feel someone was hugging them. After these incidents, the subjects would claim to feel much better about things as though they had received friendly support or loving reassurance. Indeed, Kathy has been likened to a guardian angel of sorts for the girls in Morton hall.
Being of a mind for paranormal matters and mysteries, I took it upon myself to delve into research about the case of Kathy and the history of Morton Hall.
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