Читать книгу Ghosthunting New Jersey - L'Aura Hladik - Страница 6

Introduction

TIMES SURE HAVE CHANGED. When I first started ghost hunting, in 1993, I booked dinners at restaurants reported to be haunted. I planned vacations at bed and breakfasts that offered paranormal activity in addition to a hot country breakfast. I found most of these places in two books by Arthur Meyers: The Ghostly Register and The Ghostly Gazetteer. I had to investigate under the guise of a birthday, anniversary dinner, or a romantic weekend getaway. I could not come out and admit I was ghost hunting for the real fear of being looked upon as someone destined to be fitted for a straightjacket.

A few years later, I acquired dial-up Internet access. Waiting for a Web site to open was the most exciting and anxiety-ridden way to spend ten minutes. Of course, the first thing I ever searched for was the word “ghosts.” Up came a list of maybe three ghost-related Web sites. The site I visited, http://www.ghostweb.com, was hosting its first annual Ghost Conference. I thought, “Wow! Not only do these people post their ghost hunting on a medium for all the world to see, they’re even gathering in person to discuss it.”

The times changed further when I actually attended ghost conferences and decided to start a group myself, the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society (NJGHS). The first meeting was at my home, and the place was packed. Literally, the overflow from the living room went out the front door onto the porch, up the staircase and down the hall and into the kitchen. The overall feedback I heard that day was, “I’m so glad you’re doing this. It’s great to finally meet other people who are into this like me.” The meetings moved to the Community Center uptown and grew exponentially each month.

More changes came along in the form of digital photography. This caused a major rift in the ghost-hunting community, much like the debate on whether the Earth is round or flat. Digital cameras became smaller and more capable. My Nikon Coolpix digital camera is one fourth the size of my original Sony Mavica and takes pictures eight times larger.

Things really changed for ghost hunters when the Sci Fi Channel introduced its television show Ghost Hunters. This drove what we were doing right into everyone’s living rooms. No longer would I have to hang my head in embarrassment and say, “I’m a ghost hunter.” Now I could answer confidently, “Yes, like those guys on TV.” In fact, more television shows came along on mainstream TV, such as Supernatural, Ghost Whisperer, and Medium. Ghost hunters are no longer relegated to reruns of The X-Files.

Thanks to this mainstream media and its resulting heightened awareness of the paranormal by the general public, I was able to come right out and ask the waitress at a restaurant situated in an old building, “So, do you have any ghosts here?” Without missing a beat or backing away while holding her fingers in the form of a cross, she answered, “Yes, the ghost of the guy who hanged himself here. The bartender has seen him and heard him walk down the stairs and slam the front door behind him, even though the door never moves—it’s just the sound of it being slammed.”

There are at least five cities in the United States claiming to be “the most haunted in America,” each with its slew of ghost tours, ghost walks, and haunted B&Bs. Ghosts are not just for Halloween any more. But lost in the marketing and merchandising is the person who had a paranormal experience and wants to know “what made it tick.” The true ghost hunter is all about the research and figuring out how and why something happened and whether it could happen again if the conditions were controlled.

Ghost hunting is thrilling, but it’s also comforting. I’ve gotten calls from many families who were frightened by what they were experiencing and thinking they were losing their minds. Strange as it sounds, they’re comforted when an investigation documents for them that a spirit or a residual haunting is taking place. There’s been a lot of comfort experienced by those who joined the NJGHS. They were so happy to have a place to convene and discuss this interest openly.

So where should one ghost hunt first in New Jersey? That depends on the weather. If it’s nice out, then visit the Spy House or Ringwood Manor. The Spy House has the bay breeze and a picnic area. Ringwood has its gorgeous grounds and gardens. If the weather is not cooperating, head inside to have dinner at Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse in Hackettstown or tour Lambert Castle in Paterson. Guys can ghost hunt at Liquid Assets, a strip club in South Plainfield. Ah, the sacrifices men must make for the sake of research.

Reading this book will give you historical background and possible explanations for the haunting at each place. These are not the last word on New Jersey’s ghosts and their places of inhabitance. It’s a guide. You’ll get an idea of what to look for, but the rest is up to you. Happy hunting!