The Flying Nun

I entered this business unconvinced about the reality of ghosts -- unsure, but open to their existence. Now, 18 months later, I must admit: There IS something out there. This photograph was one of those instances that made me draw this conclusion.

The Story Behind the Photo
Chris Krukar of Louisville, KY took this photo on one of my tours on Church Street -- one of Asheville's two most haunted pathways. When I first saw it, I immediately thought/ sensed it was a nun. Yet, this made no sense; there are no Catholic churches on Church Street.

Two weeks later, I uncovered a ghost story that explained it all. Apparently, the Trinity Episcopal Church once had priests and nuns in service. The nun met an untimely and sordid end (this tale is told in detail on the Ghost Hunters of Asheville Downtown Interactive tour) and her restless spirit haunts the area. This picture was taken on the street corner across from the Trinity Episcopal Church. It took a few psychics and some investigative research to uncover the nuances of the story, but my first intuitive thought was correct: This spirit is a nun.

The Patterns We (Don't) See

I've been doing ghost tours for 18 months now and have uncovered some paranormal patterns as they relate to weather, age, et.al. Others may have different experiences, but on the Ghost Hunters of Asheville tours we've discovered:

*  There is more paranormal activity if there's a chill in the air.
*  Ghosts will be scarcer if it's been an overly hot, humid day.
*  The worst night for ghost-hunting is a sky overcast with heavy gray clouds pregnant with rain that doesn't fall.
*  The full moon does not make a quantifiable difference in our paranormal sightings.
*  Dogs have been of no help in locating spirits on our tours -- although they are very welcome and add a lot of fun to a tour.
*  Pre-teens get the best paranormal photos. Their energy, enthusiasm and over-the-top clicking of photographs nets them awesome photographic results.

We'll keep observing and record any more info as we continuing touring.

What is Going On at the Battery Hotel?

Built in 1924, Asheville's 14-story Battery Park Hotel is currently inhabited by three known spirits. We've frequently gotten paranormal photographs at the Hotel, but some Ghost Hunters of Asheville guests have run into a recent problem: They are unable to take a photograph of the TOP of the hotel. This has happened twice in the past five outings. Pictures of the main lower story clearly appear, but when some people try to photograph the upper stories, they get only a black screen. Not a dark screen, mind you. A totally BLACK screen. Switching back and forth, top to bottom, multiple photographs, these guests get repetitive results: Perfect pictures on ground level, black photos above. I've been told that ghosts are blocking energy from the camera, making it impossible to take a photograph.  The real question is, though, what are the ghosts trying to prevent us from seeing? Hm-m-m.

Photo courtesy of City Development, City of Asheville, North Carolina

Ghosts Over the Pond

Tim Prevett

We get guests from all over the United States and even some beyond our borders -- most recently the Bahamas and Britain. Tim Prevett, the British fellow, joined the Ghost Hunters of Asheville downtown tour and was a sheer delight as he is a fellow ghost tour guide and ghost hunter back in the UK. He runs two tours -- one in Crewe, the other in Nantwich. Tim Prevett started running ghost tours back in 2007, and while in the States, went on a few of the spirit hunts we feature here. It was the greatest of fun to compare experiences, photos and war stories while he was here. Although we stay in touch via the Internet, he is most certainly missed.

Tim says that American tour guests differ quite a bit from those in England. While Americans tend to quickly and eagerly embrace that they've captured orbs in their photographs, Brits are quite the opposite: "A spot of dust." "It must be a night fly." "A sprinkle of water."  Tim says they are so cynical, they come up with any semblance of reason why the image is not an orb -- the very opposite of  Americans. There is probably more reality to their perspective, but I have to think that our way tends to be more fun!

Tim is an excellent photographer. You can check out his stuff at http://www.crewetours.com/. (Feel free to weigh in with any corrections or info, Tim.)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the Next 'Blair Witch Project'? - Inside Movies

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the Next 'Blair Witch Project'? - Inside Movies

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Reach Out and Touch Someone

Nearly all photos featured on the Ghost Hunters of Asheville tours were taken during our nightly ventures. This is a rare exception.

The story behind the photo...

The Mountain Xpress newspaper sponsored a photographic event known as "A Day in the Life of Asheville." They put numerous throw-away cameras around town for people to pick up and snap pictures with them. This image was captured on Asheville's infamous Eagle Street. The spirit originates from one of the corner windows above Limones Restaurant. It is an excellent example of a rare photo allowing a glimpse into the daylight world of the paranormal.

Spirits are always around us although -- photographically -- orbs, mist and such show up far better at night-time as the camera flash helps illuminate and reflect the many colors and anomalies in haunted locations.