First Guest Photo!

It is the policy of Ghost Hunters of Asheville tours to not use material from the Internet (with Photoshop et.al, who knows what is real?), but I have a few paranormal associates who I trust to send me the goods. The above photograph was kindly sent by Christopher Parsons, a member of the Southeastern Paranormal Investigation Team. He took this very clear profile of a flying spectre at Lee Memorial Cemetery in Lee County, VA. The site is near the grave of a known Statanist who committed suicide around 20 years ago. Chris reports there was no fog, rain or smoke in the area that night and that he "had a very creepy feeling that night, like my skin was crawling." I bet!!

Spirits Are Not Ghosts, Ghosts Are Not Spirits

When conducting tours for Ghost Hunters of Asheville, I'm always aware of using the terms "spirit" and "ghost" appropriately. These terms are oftentimes used interchangeably, but shouldn't be paranormally speaking. Although both a ghost and a spirit involve the soul of a once living person or animal and can manifest as orbs, there are nonetheless a multitude of differences between them. I think the differences are worth noting since their dissimilarities can tell us important things about any apparitions we may be lucky enough to run across.

Ghosts
According to Millers Paranormal Research, ghosts are earthbound entities that, when appearing as apparitions, look as they did upon death. They remain the same age, display wounds that may have been received and are dressed in the same clothes as when passing from life. Ghosts can be rather mischievious beings, announcing their presence by making noise and moving objects.

Spirits
In contrast, spirits are souls that have passed into The Light and are able to move between worlds. A halo of light commonly surrounds a spirit. They are able to manifest however they choose in terms of age and dress. Typically visiting or passing through, spirits do not engage in the same impish activities attributed to ghosts.

Below are examples of what I believe could be two spirits and a ghost. (These photos will be featured in upcoming "Story Behind the Photo" blogs.)

Barley's Big Boo

I've always said Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria has outstanding pizza, unbelievable beer selection, and the greatest of ghosts. The paranormal sightings and stories abound. Just ask any employee!


The Story Behind the Photo
Many folks choose to go on our Ghost Hunters of Asheville tours for birthday celebrations. And so it was on an evening about a month ago when it was "Aunt Katherine"'s 50th birthday. Joined by a newly wedded couple who were newbies to the ghost tour experience, we headed out into the night for adventure. There was a lot of activity, but even I wasn't expecting what (or who?) we found.

While relaying Barley's various paranormal tales, Melissa Ennis had the epiphany we females should hit their women's restroom on the first floor -- the origin of many a spookily told spiel. The men gallantly waited while we women excitedly filed into the small bathroom. It was empty, lights were turned off, and the lightbulbs on cameras started popping.

Melissa captured the above image. As sometimes happens, the form appeared clearer on the camera than it subsequently has on paper or computer, but the figure of a ghostly face can still be seen. It would seem the bathroom was more crowded than we'd at first thought!

The Orbs of the Rainbow

Orbs have been around for a long time, but were relatively uncommon until digital cameras came along. They've now become almost routine, and on our Ghost Hunters of Asheville Downtown Tour, someone's camera captures them at nearly every haunted stop. Although most orbs are white, orbs can be found in every color of the spectrum.

Orb Color Theory (OCT) is yet a very unprecise science, but paranormalists have developed charts detailing the emotional status of a spirit or ghost according to the color of their orb. To determine these correlations, paranormalists have "interviewed" spirits regarding the meanings of the colors.

Above is a detailed color chart associating various colors with their associated meanings. More examples and information can be found on http://www.moonspenders.com/orbcolors.htm.