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 Sacramento Tunnels
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading all about the locations we’ve been stopping at along the tour. Perhaps you’ve even been making notes for your own tour of California.
Flying in and out of places, as we’re trying to cover as many stops as possible, makes it difficult to conduct investigations or explore the settings in depth. However, we have managed to fit in some time for collecting possible evidence.
For instance, while at the Amargosa Hotel we had the opportunity to set up our night vision camera in our room and took numerous photos of the area. Our host, Rich Regnell, pointed out the room we were in had previous paranormal activity. We also tried to record some EVPs while in the area referred to as “Spooky Hollow”.
This was continued into the next day while visiting the town of Bodie. Taking avantage of the fact we had the entire cemetery to ourselves for a long period of time, we used the digital recorder to try and communicate with any of the Bodie residents that have been buried up on that lonely hill.
While we didn’t have as much time as we would have liked to spend investigating and we haven’t had the time to fully review all the digital information yet, it still might turn up some interesting evidence.
This is sort of a teaser to make us want to come back and explore even more. Until then we will continue pulling out the digital recorder, IR lights, and anything else we can fit into the mix. You never know what you might find.

 San Diego Ghost Tour
The crew met with Michael Brown, owner of Old Towns Most Haunted, for an exciting adventure tour that explored the paranormal side of San Diego. Old Towns Most Haunted is a tour that takes people throughout the Old Town area and relates history, reported encounters, and Michael’s personal experiences. Michael has been leading ghost tours in Old Town San Diego for 9 nine years and is an active ghost investigator. His tour is also the only ghost tour led in a CA State Park.
We started the tour with walking through the Old Town State Historic Park and learning some of the fascinating history behind a number of buildings and the tour guide’s personal experiences and encounters in the Old town area as a ghost investigator. A few of the tour highlights were a stop at a cemetery, an encounter with a vortex, and a haunted building we were able to explore.
One of the places we stopped at was the El Campo Santo Cemetery, which was an active cemetery from 1850 until 1880. We had the chance to walk inside and see some of the historic gravesites as we were regaled with interested stories about the cemetery. Michael mentioned that a number of people on past tours had issues with electronic equipment, specifically cameras, not working while in the cemetery.
During the tour Michael showed us a vortex in the courtyard of the famous Whaley House. He had a tour participant use an electromagnetic field (EMF) meter to find the exact location of the vortex. Once the vortex was found Michael related some of his personal experiences with the area and explained the role vortexes play in the paranormal world.
One of the last stops on the tour with going into one of the historic buildings that shares a courtyard with the Whaley House. The building’s past was a colorful one that ranged from being a former brothel to currently housing New Orleans Creole Cafe. Using an EMF meter Michael was able to have an interesting interaction with a paranormal entity he referred to as John.
The tour ended with Michael telling a few more stories and then showing us a number of intriguing images he had captured in his many years of being a ghost investigator. The tour definitely gave people an interesting glimpse and a new perspective into Old Town San Diego.

Clairvoyance. Premonitions. Telepathy. Psychokinesis. Astral Projection. Ever experience any of these? Ever doubted your ability or dismissed your experiences as nonsense? Before writing off your experiences as an over-active imagination, physiological reasons actually exist that may explain why some people can see ghosts, dream about the future, and move objects with their minds. First, let’s look at the unique abilities that some children appear to have.
I’ve always thought that the reason why many kids have experiences with ghosts and deceased family members was because of their openness and lack of skepticism. I learned recently, though, that there’s a physiological component to their paranormal experiences. Barry Fitzgerald of Ghost Hunters International states that many paranormal investigators are having very good luck at sighting full-bodied apparitions when looking though the UV spectrum. In fact, Fitzgerald has modified his digital camera to include the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.* Barry was in town last summer visiting a mutual friend for a couple of days. My friend and I had the privilege of showing him around New Orleans and conducting five mini-investigations of various homes and businesses. He caught some impressive shots with his “full-spectrum” camera. One that creeped me out a bit, though, was taken at Lafayette Cemetery in the Garden District. We had arrived late, so the cemetery was already closed. Barry pointed his camera through the gate and said, “Hey guys, take a look at this!” I looked through the camera and saw a full-bodied apparition flickering in front of one of the tombs. Coincidentally, this entity was standing in front of a tomb where a man had been buried alive. Barry then told us that children can naturally see into the UV spectrum. From birth to about the age of 10, a child’s eyes lack the filter that shields them from UV rays. Gradually the filter grows, and by the age of about 13, the child’s eyes are fully protected from these harmful rays. Before the filter develops, though, they can see into the UV spectrum. Maybe “imaginary friends” aren’t so imaginary. He also mentioned that cats and dogs can see into the UV spectrum as well. This could explain why the family pet may stare at an empty corner of the house or refuse to go into a particular room.
Psychic ability comes in many forms. Not all psychics see and hear all things. In fact, some don’t see or hear anything, but instead feel an entity’s emotions or pain. Some see ghosts standing in front of them. Other sensitives see ghosts in their “mind’s eye.” Others dream about ghosts, or experience them only when in a trance state. I’ve always thought that the reason different people have different psychic abilities is because each sensitive is like a unique radio receiver with the ability to tune into certain paranormal frequencies. Some are tuned into seeing ghosts, others are tuned into the future, and others are tuned into healing energy. According to Jack Houck, it is all about frequency.
Jack Houck earned his MS degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan and retired after 42 years with Boeing as a systems engineer. (That’s the guy who designs and manages the extremely complex projects.) In his spare time, though, he researches the paranormal. He first became interested in this field back in the 70’s when he read an article by Targ and Puthoff who reported that the CIA trained remote viewers to psychically spy on the Russians during the Cold War. In the 80’s, Houck became fascinated with psychokinesis (mind over matter) and has subsequently taught over 17,000 people how to bend spoons with their minds. He also teaches seminars on psychic healing, a technique surprisingly similar to psychically bending spoons and moving objects.
Houck’s research in PK and remote viewing is fascinating, but what caught my attention was a discovery he made about psychics. He collected the EEGs of psychics, yogis, shamans, and psychic healers and observed that they all had a specific brain frequency in common: 7.8Hz. He then wondered what would happen if he could stimulate this frequency in a non-psychic person. Would that person become sensitive? To find the answer, Houck translated this 7.8 Hz into sound, (this frequency is too low for the human ear to hear, so Houck coupled it with an audible frequency), and then placed headphones on non-psychics. Within a few minutes to 20 minutes, 50% of the test subjects had an out-of-body experience. (You can read about the specifics of these experiments on his website. Click on the article titled “Mental Access Window.”) Houck also states that this same 7.8 Hz is attained naturally during REM sleep, and when in a meditative, yogic state. This could explain why some people have premonitions or ghostly encounters while dreaming, and why some psychics need to be in a self-hypnotic trance state to conduct readings or communicate with the dead. Perhaps this frequency trait is genetic, explaining why psychic ability is passed from generation to generation.
But why 7.8 Hz? What makes this brain frequency so special? Houck offers a theory that involves Mother Nature. He states that the atmosphere between the earth’s surface and the ionosphere (that begins about 30 miles above the earth’s surface) oscillates at this same magnetic frequency or close to it, (aka Schumann’s Resonance), and has since the dawn of time. He believes that all time/space information is stored within this “atmospheric computer” of the earth. The way to access that information is through the 7.8 Hz frequency. When the brain’s frequency is synced up with the earth’s frequency at 7.8 Hz, an individual may have access to all the information of all time and space. Houck also believes that when our minds go beyond our physical brains, they act as receivers and transmitters inside the super computer of all information of all existence, and not just that of our planet. We can see and hear the past, present and future in all places and planes of existence. Houck believes this frequency is a key, a universal password, into all-knowing of all things in the universe.
I find the 7.8Hz frequency information fascinating, but my inner biologist (that was my under-grad degree) has a need to point at a spot in the brain and say, “This is it—the center for psychic ability!” I have yet to find scientific proof or neurological studies that definitively pin point the location. Intuition has been located, though, in the right brain. Maybe psychic ability is well-developed intuition? My gut’s telling me there’s more to it than that. Many psychics, though, believe there is such a location for extra-sensory perception.
The pineal gland is located in the geographical center of the brain, directly behind the eyes, between the two hemispheres. Psychics and sages throughout the ages have known about this small pine cone-shaped body and called it the “third eye.” Some have even claimed that this is the seat of the soul. When searching for information about this gland, a psychic network website claimed that MRI and CAT scans revealed increased blood flow to this area of the brain in individuals who are psychically gifted. No scientific reference was cited though. I then did a search on the National Institute of Health’s website and found out that scientists used to think that the pineal body had little or no purpose, like the appendix. Then they discovered that it produces the sleep hormone melatonin, and began studies regarding circadian rhythm, jet lag, and the health problems of employees assigned shift work. Scientists have continued to study this gland and found out that there’s a lot going on inside this little pea-sized body.
The pineal body evolved from our eyes, and is made of the same cells as the retina. So, I suppose one could say quite literally that it is a “third eye.” In an article published in March of this year, researchers found that 600 genes in the pineal gland are activated and synchronized within a 24-hour period to regulate our sleeping and waking. That’s more gene action than in any other tissue. Turns out, though, these pineal genes do more than regulate when we fall asleep and wake. They also have a role in our immune system, inflammation, how cells bind to each other, the reproduction and death of cells, the inner structural material of cells, the tissue that lines the inner organs, calcium metabolism, cholesterol production, protein production, and hormone function. Dr. David Klein, one of the neuroendocrinologists involved in this study, states “We have a long way to go before we fully understand the role of the pineal gland and what makes it tick. I suspect that the pineal gland plays a much broader role in human health than anyone has ever imagined.”
I still didn’t get my definitive answer, but I can see the possibility of the pineal gland’s role in psychic ability. It releases the sleep hormone, and regulates the various sleep states including REM—the state where the brain hits the 7.8Hz frequency. Is it possible that the pineal gland is a cerebral “on/off switch” to psychic ability? Is it possible that there are some undiscovered genes in the pineal gland that regulate this frequency while awake? Perhaps people who are continuously open psychically while awake have a gene that’s constantly “on” for 7.8Hz. Is it possible that the pineal gland is stimulated when people go into a self-induced trance state to conduct psychic readings? Yoga practitioners say that the pineal gland is related to the 6th chakra. We all know that meditation and aligning the chakras bring not only emotional and spiritual balance, but physical benefits too. Is it possible that meditation aids the pineal gland in choreographing all 600 genes in a graceful synchronization of cellular health and well-being?
It appears that the supernatural and the paranormal are a little more natural and normal than we thought. Kids may have some not-so-imaginary friends. When the brain syncs up with the frequency of the atmosphere, the mind can travel anywhere. And there’s a tiny pea-sized gland smack dab in the middle of the brain that helps us attain that frequency, opening the door to higher awareness and physical health.
What do you believe about the possibility of psychic physiology?
Happy Hauntings,
Karen
*If you’re interested in having your camera converted to include IR and UV spectrums, Fitzgerald says that the folks at < a href=”http://www.lifepixel.com/”>lifepixel.com provide that service. Click on the FAQ page. The first question lists which cameras can be converted to full-spectrum and the cost to do so. Barry states that his camera has been modified to include1100nm in the IR through 300nm in the UV. Estimated cost is $450 to $600 to modify your existing camera. If you need to start from scratch, the estimated cost is $1500 once you’ve purchased a good quality camera and lens, plus conversion service. He also warns to beware of some cameras on Ebay claiming to be full-spectrum.
written by: karen

 Sacramento City Cemetery
Another ghost hunting adventure led me to Sacramento,CA and the historical Sacramento City Cemetery located at 1000 Broadway on the corner of 10th Street and Broadway.
The cemetery is one of California’s oldest and was established in 1849 with a ten-acre gift to the city from John Sutter. The earliest known burial in the cemetery was of Captain James Homans in 1849. The expansion of the cemetery continued and was finally complete in 1880 with a donation from Margaret Crocker that brought the city land holdings to 60 acres. Currently, the cemetery covers only a portion of that and contains over 25,000 graves of pioneers, immigrants, and many people important in the early days of California’s history.
One poignant spot in the cemetery is a mass grave for almost 1000 people that perished in the 1850 cholera epidemic and then a separate commemorative marker for the 17 doctors that lost their lives caring for the cholera victims. There is also a marker that states over 3,000 pioneers were buried in unmarked graves somewhere within and around the cemetery. The area surrounding the cemetery is all residential and built before careful excavations would have taken place, so it’s quite likely there are many remains under the homes in close proximity to the cemetery.
While I was in the cemetery I took numerous photos, but never captured anything except some interesting grave markers and monuments. Another person was managing a recorder in the hopes of picking up some EVPs, but we didn’t get anything when we listened later. I personally didn’t experience anything out the ordinary while I was at the cemetery, but one person did feel like something grabbed her and then quickly let go. She wasn’t scared, but she was definitely caught off-guard and stayed in the area for a while to see if she heard or felt anything more. Over the years, I’ve heard stories that people have had many different encounters while visiting the cemetery. While I didn’t experience anything paranormal on the particular day I went I did see some amazing monuments and get a little glimpse into California’s history and some of the people that figured prominently in it. Maybe next time I’ll have a different tale to tell.

 Maydestone Apartment Building
Always on the look-out for a new adventure I decided to explore an allegedly haunted location in Sacramento, CA on a recent trip to the area. I was able to squeeze in a quick trip to a historic building known as the Maydestone Apartments. It’s located at 1001 15th Street, on the corner of 15th and J Streets, in Sacramento’s mid-town area.
The building’s history is a little mysterious. It was built in 1912 and continually had tenants until 2003. Over the years tenants frequently complained of sudden cold spots, strange electrical phenomenon, unexplained noises, and an unknown presence that was felt throughout the building. In the late 1980s the Maydestone gradually became a dilapidated haven for drug addicts, prostitutes, and other assorted criminals. Apparently, on Halloween night of 2003 the building suffered a serious fire that resulted in substantial damage to the interior. It was closed for repair work, but never reopened. However, in 2009 Sacramento developer, D&S Development, took over an option to purchase the historic 34 room building.
When I arrived at the building the sun had already set, which gave the building a very oppressive and unsettled feeling. I’m normally never uneasy or prone to being jumpy, but for some reason I was definitely on guard that evening. I decided I would just walk around the building, get a few photos, and then leave. I got my camera out and used a parking meter as my unofficial tripod, so I could quickly snap a few shots. No sooner did I take my first few shots when my fully-charged camera stopped working and I had the overwhelming feeling I shouldn’t be taking any more photos of the building. All of my camera buttons stopped working and my display window kept flashing on and off. Then my camera gave me an error message just before powering down with a “charge battery” message. I was astonished as my fully charged camera would usually work weeks without needing a charge and here in a matter of minutes the battery was drained. At that point, there wasn’t much more I could do, so my friend and I decided to go have dinner instead.
Over dinner we discussed seeing the building and both of realized we had the same uneasy feeling while being there. I also mentioned how odd it was that my camera had such major issues, but I figured something must have happened on my plane flight. Maybe I bumped my camera and had accidentally turned it on. I reached into my bag, retrieved the camera to take a second look at it, and much to my surprise it fired right up complete with a fully charged battery. I was even more surprised to see I had gotten one shot and only one shot of the building. Now keep in mind it was completely dark out and I didn’t use a flash when I took the shot.
Now I can’t explain what happened that night, but I do think there was a reason my camera stopped working and I felt so unsettled being near the building. What do you think?
I’d love to hear any comments or experiences you might have had like this.

 Guest speaker - Liz Souza Believe It Tour’s March lecture entitled, Beware the Ides of March, at the Cumberland Library in Cumberland, RI was another interesting afternoon for everyone in attendance.The lecture was inspired by the idea of prophecy and looking into the future, which was a perfect topic for the 15 th of March.
The month’s featured guest speaker, Liz Souza, was an engaging and knowledgeable lecturer who regaled the audience with personal tales and an educational glimpse into the different aspects behind the business of divinity and the world of the paranormal. She spoke about a variety of extremely interesting and intense experiences she’d had over the years as a psychic and medium. Liz also addressed the many aspects of looking into the future using tools like numerology, tarot cards, skulls, pendulums, and the infamous Ouija board. After she ended her lecture the audience had many diverse questions that she graciously took the time to answer.
A new component was added to the monthly lecture series when Believe It Tour launched their first book review and discussion section. The book reviewed was GhostHunters by John Kachuba. This book explores the world of paranormal investigators and takes the reader to many places across the US. This is an easy to read and entertaining book that would be a good additional to any paranormal library.
Look for the next Believe It Tour – New England lecture in April as it’s sure to be another exciting and interesting time. We look forward to seeing you there!

 My Spooky Valentine Sidestep the black cats and bypass the ladders to celebrate Friday the 13th (of February) with stories and sounds that will give you chills.
Join Believe It Tour – New England for “My Spooky Valentine,” an evening of spine-tingling tales of events that have happened in Southern New England.
Guest speaker, Paul Eno, and his son, Ben, will kick off the night with a talk about sightings, stories, and investigations across the region, followed by a question and answer session. Paul brings over 30 years experience as a paranormal investigator, he is an award-winning journalist, author, and psychic-intuitive.
Stick around after dinner to meet Maribeth, also known as the “Happy Medium”, who will be providing complementary psychic Tarot Card Readings.
The evening includes dinner (cash bar), fortune telling, opportunities to shop for books and chat with the authors, and the fun of mingling with others interested in the paranormal, extraterrestrial, and cryptozoology. Members of several other New England paranormal groups will be part of the mix, so if you’re interested in ghost hunting or just hearing about their adventures, this is the place to be.
“My Spooky Valentine” starts at 7 pm, at the River Falls Restaurant, 74 South Main St., Woonsocket, RI. Tickets for the event are on sale now for $22 per person. To reserve your space, visit http://www.believeittour.com by February 10.

It was a cold, late afternoon day when I embarked on a ghost hunting adventure. I was visiting Sacramento, CA and decided to see a few spots in the city that had some claim to being haunted. One of the stops on the tour was known as the Perrault House that was considered one of America’s most haunted locations in 1964. The house is a small unassuming structure on 14th Avenue near Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood. The house was owned by Hector Perrault and in the 60s Dorothy Lunsford and her teenage son lived in it. The house was filled with activity that ranged from unexplained fires starting on furniture to fuses that always blew out and light bulbs that burst while on to bottles in the kitchen that would explode. Heavy objects would also float or fly through the air and animals refused to go near the house. Apparently, at one point Perrault kept a 24 hour vigil going to ensure the house remained standing and wasn’t destroyed. The history is a little hazy as to why or how the activity stopped, but some time after the Lunsford family left things quieted down.
The house is still standing and another family now lives in it. The house looks warm and inviting even on a cold winter day. I think it’s safe to say that whatever was in the house back in the 60s is gone today.
Now the house next door is an entirely different matter…

 The Haunted Adobe- Long Beach, CA
The day was a perfect Southern CA autumn day- cool and a little windy. An ideal day to embark on a grand adventure. I was making my way to Long Beach, CA to meet a group of ghost hunters that were going to explore a haunted adobe. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was heading over there with an open mind and my camera in hand.
To better understand this California historic site let me give you a little background. The haunted adobe, better known as the Rancho Los Cerritos adobe, was built in 1844 and is an important part of early California history. In 1784 Manuel Nieto received a grant from the Spanish government giving him 300,000 acres of California land and in 1834 his daughter, Manuela Cota, received 27,000 acres of his huge estate. With her husband and twelve children she built two adobes on this land and they raised a large herd of cattle. When Cota died her children sold the land to John Temple, who was a successful cattle rancher from Massachusetts and was the builder of the two-story Rancho Los Cerritos adobe. After an economic downturn in the California cattle industry Temple sold his property in 1866 to Thomas and Benjamin Flint and their cousin Lewellyn Bixby, who were all sheep ranchers. During this prosperous time, 1866 to 1881, many Flint and Bixby family members were born, lived, and died in the adobe. From 1890 to 1927, the adobe housed a number of different tenants and finally fell into disrepair before being renovated in 1930 and then given to the city of Long Beach in 1955. Needless to say between the Native American tribes and all the families that lived on this land there was a varied and rich past. Circumstances ripe for a ghostly encounter.
The ghost hunting group had visited this site before and were sure there would be some activity. We had a docent that took us around the adobe as many photos were snapped and voice recorders utilized to capture EVP. For those that aren’t familiar with EVP it stands for electronic voice phenomenon and is the communication of ghosts through tape recorders or other electronic devices. Three people in the group, myself included, had never done this before, but the other seven people had.
There were a number of rooms downstairs, but none seemed to have anything unusual in them to me. However, when I entered one room upstairs I got a little dizzy and felt strange, but I wasn’t if was due to a presence in the house or the Starbuck’s hot chocolate I’d powered down 20 minutes before. I noticed one girl in the group linger outside of a particular room and one man looked a little ill at one point. When the hour long tour was over we thanked the docent and the group reconvened outside to share their experiences.
The man who looked ill had gotten something on his voice recorder. He said it was the voice of a female who was saying some shocking things. He didn’t elaborate as to what was being said though. One girl in the group was a psychic that was used to seeing and communicating with ghosts. She confirmed there was definitely a presence in the house and it belonged to a young girl who was not a friendly spirit. I can’t say when I walked through the house I felt or saw anything out the ordinary and when I got home I looked through the many photos I took, but didn’t capture anything beyond what I saw when I was there.
It was definitely a fun adventure and I really enjoyed meeting the people in the group. I can say that I can’t wait for my next ghost hunting adventure. The next time you are in Southern California I’d recommend a visit to the Rancho Los Cerritos adobe, which is located at 4600 Virginia Road in Long Beach, CA. Who knows maybe you’ll be the one to hear a whisper in your ear or photograph a ghostly face in an orb.

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